PHILADELPHIA, PA - The La Salle softball team (8-15, 1-5 Atlantic 10) ran into some tough pitching as Massachusetts (15-11, 4-0) took a pair of games from the Explorers at Good Shepherd Field. UMass won game one in five innings, 8-0, as La Salle struck out 13 times. The Explorers were no-hit for the fourth time this season in a darkness-shortened, five-inning, 6-0 loss.

 

Game One

 

UMass got on the board in the top of the third when KJ Kelley singled home Amanda Acampora, who had reached on a double. La Salle threatened in the bottom half of the inning, when Jen Street (Coatesville, PA/Bishop Shanahan) led off with a walk. Freshman Teddi Hernandez (Hanford, CA/Hanford) attempted to bunt her over to second, but UMass third basemen Whitney Mollica bobbled the ball and Hernandez was safe at first. Lea Corcoran (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake Community) followed with a single to load the bases, but Minutewomen pitcher Brandice Balschmiter struck out the next three Explorers to work out of the jam.

 

Mollica more than made up for her fielding gaffe in the fourth. After La Salle pitcher Laura DeZolt (Morrisville, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic) walked in a run, Mollica drilled the first pitch she saw over the fence in right-center to put UMass up 6-0.  The Minutewomen tacked on two more runs in the fifth when pinch-hitter Samantha Salato tripled home Lauren Procter. Amanda Morin followed with a hard-hit ball to second basemen Kelli Curcio (Hatboro, PA/St. Basil). Curcio bobbled the ball, allowing Morin to reach safely and Salato to score.

 

DeZolt (7-4) got the loss, allowing eight hits, eight runs (seven earned), while striking out five and walking three. Balschmiter (11-5) picked up the win. Thirteen of the 15 outs came via strikeout. Balschmiter allowed only one hit and one walk.

 

Game Two

 

The hot hitting continued for UMass early in game two. The Minutewomen plated two runs in the first as a single by Kelly scored Morin and Candice Molinari. In the second inning, pitcher Corcoran found herself in a bases-loaded, one-out jam. After a fielder's choice, she walked Salato to force in a run, but got Lesley Ferrara to ground out to end the inning.

 

While the Explorers struggled offensively, they made a couple of key plays in the field. Leading off the top of the fourth inning, Kristi Stefanoni lofted a ball toward the gap in left-center. La Salle center fielder Hernandez got a good read on it and made a nice diving catch. After Morin grounded out to second, Explorer catcher Michelle Sullivan (Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) made a quick grab of a Molinari pop up that would have landed a few feet behind the plate.

 

After UMass' Mollica led off the fifth with a triple, Kelley drove her in with a single. The next hitter, Acampora, homered to make the score 6-0.

 

Jenna Busa (4-6) picked up the win for UMass. She didn't allow a hit and struck out seven batters in five innings. Corcora (0-5) picked up the loss. She allowed nine hits and six runs, while walking three. Corcoran also registered one strikeout.

 

The Explorers will return to action at noon on Sunday, April 2, when they host Rhode Island.