WestConn Bows Out Of NCAA Tourney With 7-4 Loss To Mount Union College
GLASSBORO, NJ (May 10) – The Western Connecticut State University softball team’s ride through the NCAA Division III Softball Championships ended on Sunday with a 7-3 loss to Mount Union College at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.
The Purple Raiders, 38-9, move on to play Muskingum College at 11 am. Denison College, 3-0 in the Tournament thus far, will play the winner of that game for the East Regional Championship and a trip to College World Series in Salem, VA. Either MUC or the Fighting Muskies will have to beat the Big Red twice in the double-elimination format to capture the Regional title.
WestConn got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning when Stacey DiMaggio (Hopewell Junction, NY) executed a squeeze bunt to perfection. Her bunt back to the pitcher pushed lead-off hitter Cortney Romyns (Newton, NJ) across. Romyns led off the game with a walk, stole second base and moved to third on a fielder’s choice by Kristen Lugovich.
Mount Union came right back with three runs in the bottom half of the first. Pitcher Lindsey Royer (Louisville, OH) belted a two-RBI double to the gap in left center field. Royer drove in Meghan Allen (Hartville, OH) and Lee Negrelli (Mentor, OH), who led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Royer came in with the Purple Raiders third run on a single by Meghan Simmons (East Rochester, OH).
MUC catcher Mara Palombaro (Boardman, OH) led off the third inning with a double to left center and chase WestConn ace Shelby Slie from the mound. Freshman Amanda Caouette (Watertown, CT) replaced Slie but did not last long. After yielding a single to Royer and a run-scoring double by Erin Dunigan (Green, OH), Caouette gave way to Romyns. The senior righty stopped the rally by inducing three straight pop ups in the infield.
Freshman right fielder Amy Hartman (Ellington, CT) pulled the Colonials within a run when she crushed a two-run home run, her sixth of the season, deep over the left field wall. Brittany Finkeldey (Ivoryton, CT), who reached on a one-out bunt single, scored ahead of Hartman.
Finkeldey led the WestConn offense with a pair of hits in three plate appearances.
Two errors and a hit batter loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth for the Purple Raiders. After an infield fly out, Palombaro laced a two-run single just inside the left field line to give MUC a 6-3 lead. Romyns intentionally walked Royer then issued an RBI walk to Duigan and the lead grew to four runs.
The middle of the Purple Raiders lineup of Palombaro, Royer and Duigan produced five of the team’s nine hits and drove in six of seven runs on the day.
Royer allowed four hits, struck out five, walked one and improved to 28-5 on the season.
Slie takes the loss for the Colonials and finishes her final season with a 17-8 record. She went just two innings allowing four runs on six hits and walking two. Romyns went four innings gave up only one hits and three unearned runs. She walked two, one intentially.
The Colonials end the campaign with a 31-15 record and have now won 30 or more games six times in the program’s history. This was their ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament. WestConn advanced to the College World Series in 2002 in Eau Claire, WI
Mount Union 7, Western Connecticut 3 (May 11, 2008 at Glassboro, NJ)
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Western Connecticut. 100 200 0 - 3 4 4 (31-15)
Mount Union......... 301 003 X - 7 9 0 (38-9)
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Pitchers: Western Connecticut - Shelby Slie; Amanda Caouette(3); Cortney Romyns(3).
Mount Union - Lindsey Royer.
Win-Lindsey Royer(28-5) Loss-Shelby Slie(17-8)
T-1:25 A-100 HR WCSUSB - Amy Hartman (6).
S. Slie faced 1 batter in the 3rd. A. Caouette faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
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