May 17, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. - Lindsay Maroney's two-out RBI single in the fourth inning and Sarah Reeves' two-run home run in the sixth led UMass to a 3-1 victory over Lehigh on Saturday afternoon to send the Minutewomen to the finals of the NCAA Softball Amherst Regional. Brandice Balschmiter was dominate in the circle, pitching 5 1/3 one-hit shutout innings before being injured throwing a pitch in the sixth inning. Alisha Gonzales drove in a run for the Mountain Hawks in the bottom of the seventh on a groundout, but Bailey Sanders was able to end the threat to earn her second career save. UMass will face Stanford in the finals on Sunday with first pitch slated for noon at the UMass Softball Complex.

Pitching her third game of the day, Balschmiter's one-hit, five-strikeout performance concluded a day that saw her throw 18 1/3 innings over the course of the Minutewomen's three games. It was the junior right-hander's 30th win of the season, which is tied for the second-most in a season in UMass history and two behind her own record set in 2006.

Tiffany Curtis took the loss for Lehigh. The sophomore right-hander went the distance, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out six. Whitney Lowe was 2-for-3 and Lisa Sweeney was 1-for-3 with a runs scored.

Both starting pitchers cruised along until the top of the fourth. Whitney Mollica led off the inning for UMass with a single through the left side and Sam Salato followed with a walk. After two outs were recorded, Maroney singled through the right side plating pinch-runner Davina Hernandez and giving the Minutewomen a 1-0 lead.

Salato started things in the sixth with a one-out double off the wall in left field, setting the table for Reeves' long drive to left field, her 10th home run of the season.

With one out in Lehigh's half of the sixth, Kate Marvel was hit by a pitch on the play Balschmiter was injured on. Sanders came in to retire the next to batter and get out of the inning.

Sweeney and Lowe led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third on a groundout. After Brooke Lewis walked to load the bases, Gonzales grounded out to shortstop, allowing Sweeney to score. Sanders then struck out pinch-hitter Sam Miller to end the game.