University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Charlotte
Whitneys Lead UMass Over Charlotte, 2-0, & Into A-10 Finals
May 08, 2009 | Softball
May 8, 2009
BRONX, N.Y. - For the second day in a row, home runs, and the back-to-back variety, led the UMass softball offensive attack as Whitney Williams and Whitney Mollica homered in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie and lead the top-seeded and #24/20 Minutewomen to a 2-0 victory over second-seeded Charlotte on Friday afternoon in day three action at the Atlantic 10 Championship at Bahoshy Field. The win sends UMass into Saturday's conference championship against the 49ers, third-seeded Saint Louis, or fifth seeded Saint Joseph's at 2 p.m.
The sixth inning home runs by the left side of the UMass infield broke up a scoreless pitchers' duel. Up to that point, both teams had just three hits, while the 49ers had stranded seven and the Minutewomen had left four runners on.
Brandice Balschmiter (30-4) picked up her second-straight shutout of the tournament, and NCAA leading 19th of the season. The senior hurler allowed three hits while striking out eight. Balschmiter's 30-win season, her third, is just the fifth in UMass history. Danielle Henderson had the other two.
The 49ers put runners on base in each of the first four innings. They singled twice in the first inning, had a runner reach by way of error in both the second and third, and a single in the fourth. Balschmiter was able to pitch her way out of each jam, using five strikeouts and the help of Jessica Serio throwing out a runner on an attempted steal.
Jeffery held UMass without a base-runner until the bottom of the third when Kyllie Magill led off the inning by doubling off the wall in left field. Charlotte starter Emily Jeffery (23-9) got the next two batters to strike out and recorded a fly out to end the inning and strand Magill at second base.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, Whitney Mollica singled to left and Sarah Reeves followed with a walk. Aftera strikeout made it two outs, Audrey Boutin singled through the right side, but Charlotte's Whitney Williams in right field threw out Mollica at the plate to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
Balschmiter experienced some control problems in the top of the sixth, issuing three walks. With the bases loaded and two outs, she got UMass out of the inning when Jaime West's fly ball was caught by Samantha Salato just in front of the left field wall.
Williams broke up the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when the junior shortstop led off the frame by hitting Jeffery's 1-1 offering deep down the right field line for her seventh home run of the season.
Mollica made it back-to-back home runs by hitting Jeffery's 3-1 pitch high over the wall in left field and onto the tennis courts beyond the softball complex, making it 2-0. It was the senior third baseman's fifth of the season and 27th of her career, putting her alone in fourth on the all-time UMass charts.
Balschmiter pitched a one-two-three seventh, striking out the final two batters to end the game.
Friday's game was the first time Carly Normandin did not reach base since March 13 vs. South Florida, a streak of 30 games. In the that stretch was a 23-game hitting streak.
The Minutewomen have now hit five home runs thru two games in the A-10 Tournament. Reeves and Salato hit back-to-back homers while Normandin later added another in UMass' 5-1 opening win over Fordham on Thursday. The all-time tournament record is eight round-trippers by the 2005 UMass squad.
Charlotte will face the winner of Friday's 3:30 p.m. match-up of Saint Louis and Saint Joseph's at noon on Saturday for the right to face UMass in the finals at 2 p.m. The Minutewomen need one victory in the finals to claim their 21st A-10 crown, while their opponent would need to win two games in the final.
