University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Connecticut
Normandin's Seventh Inning Slam Leads Softball Over UConn, 6-4
April 23, 2009 | Softball
April 23, 2009
STORRS, Conn. - Trailing by a run in the top of the seventh inning and down to her final strike, Carly Normandin hit a grand slam to left field to give #21/17 UMass softball (28-6) the lead and Brandice Balschmiter held off a UConn (25-17) rally in the bottom half of the inning to give the Minutewomen a dramatic 6-4 on Wednesday afternoon at the UConn Softball Complex. The Minutewomen led, 2-0, going into the bottom of the sixth when the Huskies scored three runs before UMass rallied in the seventh for their 17th-straight victory.
Whitney Mollica led off the seventh with a single to center field. The hit was the 200th of her career, coming in her 200th game played. She is just the 12th UMass player to reach the 200-hit mark. Michelle Libby bunted Mollica over to second before Whitney Williams and Jessica Serio followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases. After a strikeout made it two outs, Normandin drove Rachael Crossin's 2-2 pitch to the opposite field and out for her sixth home run of the season and first grand slam.
UConn pushed a run across in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Jillian Ortega after a walk, a single, and a fielder's choice. With the bases loaded and one out, Kyllie Magill fielded a ground ball, tagged the runner going to second, and threw to first for the game-ending double play.
Balschmiter (21-4) struck out seven while allowing four runs on 11 hits to earn the win. Crossin (7-9) allowed four runs, three earned, on two hits and six walks. She started the game, was relieved by Jessie Stavola in the third, and re-entered in the seventh.
Normandin's two-hit day extended her hitting streak to 20 games and upped her conference-leading batting average to .419.
The Minutewomen started the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning despite not recording a hit. Sarah Reeves and Mollica started things off with walks and Libby loaded the bases by reaching on an error on a sacrifice bunt. Williams was then hit by a pitch to drive in the game's first run. The second UMass came on after the following batter, Serio, walked.
UMass' defense made a pair of great plays to help Balschmiter in the bottom of the fourth. Ortega led off the inning by lining a ball down the left field line and tried to stretch the hit into a double. Samantha Salato threw a strike to second base to cut down Ortega for the first out. The next batter, Amy DeLuca hit a ground ball between first and second that looked like it was on its way into right field, but Magill made a diving stop and threw from her knees to first for the second out. After a single by Justyne Roy, Blaschmiter took care of the third out herself, striking out Jess Arremony.
The Minutewomen loaded the bases again in the fifth, on back-to-back one-out singles by Mollica and Libby, followed by a Williams walk, but Stavola was able to get out of the jam with a fielder's choice and a ground.
After having just three singles for the game going into the sixth inning, UConn batters recorded five hits in a row that inning, scoring three runs and taking a 3-2 lead. After a leadoff single, Erin Burtner, a .141 hitter coming into the game, hit a two-run home run to left field to tie the game. Ortega followed with a double to right and DeLuca singled. Justine Roy then singled in the go-ahead run for the Huskies, making it 3-2.
The Minutewomen return to action this weekend when they travel to Charlotte for a Sunday doubleheader against the 49ers beginning at noon.
