April 13, 2010
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - With her four hits on the day, senior Mary Pat Conville hit the 150-hit mark for her career on Tuesday in La Salle's doubleheader split at UMBC. The Explorers won the first game 2-0 before a heartbreaking seventh-inning loss in the nightcap. With the split, the Explorers are now 10-18 overall while the Retrievers move to 19-17.
Conville went 2-for-4 in both games to lead the Explorers. Her single up the middle in the top of the seventh inning in game two gave her the 150th hit of her career at La Salle. Gina Massaro went 3-for-6 with three runs scored between the two games, while Ali Shepherd added a 2-for-4 outing with a game-winning home run in the first game.
Shepherd's solo blast over the right field fence in the top of the first inning of game one was all the scoring that the Explorers needed in dispatching of the Retrievers. The rest of the game was fairly quiet for both teams, as both squads scattered base runners. Things heated up in the seventh for La Salle when Liz Reed knocked a leadoff single down the right field line and moved to second on a Massaro sac bunt.
Shepherd followed up with her second hit of the game, a single to left field, and advanced on a Retriever error. Reed scored on the play to add an insurance run. The Retrievers put up a two-out single by Amanda Page in the bottom of the inning, before the final batter was forced into a groundout to end the game.
DJ Guinn pitched a complete game gem, scattering just three hits and striking out seven to pick up her fourth win. Stephanie Weigman suffered the loss for the Retrievers, going all seven innings and giving up two runs on eight hits. She also struck out nine and walked two.
The second game was a complete swing as the two teams combined for 15 runs. The Explorers took a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh before the home squad rallied for three runs, including a game-winning steal of home.
Once again, the Explorers drew first blood by getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first. Massaro drew a leadoff walk and scored on a throwing error by Retriever third baseman Ashley Carver on Shepherd's at-bat.
The next three half innings were all 1-2-3 innings before the Explorers tacked on three runs in the top of the third on four consecutive singles. Reed led off with a hit to left center and advanced on Massaro's single down the left field line. Shepherd followed up with another single down the left field line to score Reed. Conville added the fourth straight Explorer hit with a single through the left side to score Massaro. Shepherd crossed the plate for the third run of the inning on Angelina Bisbiglia's RBI groundout to shortstop.
The Retrievers got on the board for the first time all day in the bottom of the inning when Lauren Brummell hit an RBI double to score Julia Culotta, who reached on a walk, and put the score at 4-1.
Massaro scored a run in the top of the fifth after leading off with a double to left center and eventually scored on a Retriever miscue.
The home squad answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 5-4 before the Explorers pushed it back to 7-4 in the top of the sixth. Guinn blasted her third home run of the season, a two-RBI shot down the left field line that also scored Tristan Musho. Musho reached base on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. The Retrievers tacked on another run in the bottom of the inning to put the score at 7-5.
With the Explorers two outs away from the win, the Retrievers mounted a furious rally. Following a double by Amanda Fefel, Emily Thompson followed up with a two-run home run to tie up the ballgame. Malorie Weller then doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball before stealing home to end the game.
Kristen Paoletti and Laura Beth McCreesh split pitching duties with the decision going to McCreesh. Fefel and Heather Brown also split duties for the Explorers, as Brown picked up the win.
The Explorers return to Philadelphia as they head across town to Drexel on Thursday for a 3:00 PM doubleheader.
