May 12, 2007

Amherst, Mass. - Massachusetts (37-12-1) defeated third-seeded Saint Louis (29-33), 9-3, in the Championship game of the four-day double-elimination Atlantic 10 Softball Championship held at the UMass Softball Complex. Behind a strong performance from the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship, sophomore pitcher Brandice Balschmiter, UMass captured its 19th A- 10 Softball Championship. Balschmiter picked up all three wins for UMass and was named MOP for the second straight year.

Massachusetts earned the league's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Softball Championship and enters the postseason tournament with the nation's longest overall winning streak with 26 straight victories.

Saint Louis took the lead in the top of the second inning after a walk and two throwing errors helped sophomore Annie Dillinger cross the plate to go up 1-0. However, the lead was short-lived after Massachusetts evened the score in the bottom of the inning when senior Amanda Acampora hit a two-out double and sophomore Samantha Salato scored her with a single to right field.

The Minutewomen piled on the runs in their next at-bats when they scored seven runs on seven hits, including a grand slam by junior Stacy Cullington. The round-tripper was Cullington's 15th of the season breaking the A-10 and UMass record for home runs in a single season.

Saint Louis would score two more runs in the top of the fourth after a two-out double by sophomore Rachel Heet cleared the bases, however, Balschmiter allowed just two more hits the rest of the way to seal the win.

The Minutewomen finished the game with 11 hits by eight different players. Balschmiter picked up her 27th win on the season to move to 27-8 overall while junior Lorena Floccari (10-15) took the loss for Saint Louis.

Joining Balschmiter, Cullington and Heet on the All-Championship team were senior Candice Molinari (UM), junior Lauren Proctor (UM), junior Ashley Levan (SLU) senior Kristi Killough (CHA), junior Emily Forbes (CHA), junior Allison Twarowski (FOR), sophomore Melissa Andrews (FOR) and junior Brittany Burks (TU).