Softball has tough week, drops three
The team splits a double-header against George Washington, but suffers a sweep to Dayton

By Frank Visco
Collegian Editor
March 29, 2006

After a dominant performance at the Bash at the Beach tournament, the La Salle softball team came into this past week, its first week of conference play, with momentum on its side. However, the women were unable to capitalize on that momentum, as they went 1-3 on the week, and saw their record fall to 8-11 (1-3 in the A-10).

“I don’t think that our 1-3 record really shows the level that we played at,” freshman Lea Corcoran said. “We haven’t been blown out at all, and have always fought until the very last out.”

On Wednesday, March 22, the team traveled to Washington, D.C. for a two-game set against the George Washington Colonials. The Explorers managed to keep the Colonials under wraps in the first game, winning a 2-1 nail-biter; however, GW bounced back and won the second match, 6-4.

“The [doubleheader was a] well-played game by both teams,” Corcoran said. “We got ahead early in the first game and managed to hold off a late-inning rally. We also fell behind early in the second game and managed to have our own late inning rally. We came up just short, but really showed some heart by not rolling over when the other team was up by five.”

In game one, the Explorers got on the board first, putting up a two-spot in the third. With runners on second and third and two out, junior Laura DeZolt beat out a single to the pitcher that scored freshman Teddi Hernandez, who had kicked the inning off with a single up the middle. The next batter, sophomore Carissa Segura, also came up clutch, lacing the ball through the left side to bring home freshman Kelli Curcio with the team’s second run.

A dominant performance from DeZolt kept the Colonials in check through five; however, in the bottom of the sixth, the team mounted a comeback. The inning started off promisingly for the Colonials, with runners on second and third and none out. DeZolt caught a break when sophomore catcher Michelle Sullivan picked off George Washington’s Elaine Meyers at third base.

After regaining form by striking out the next batter, DeZolt then walked cleanup hitter Jackie Yaniga and gave up an RBI single to Caroline Howe. However, the Explorer pitcher successfully navigated her way out of the jam by forcing Chrysanthi Halkiotis to fly out to left. All in all, DeZolt (7-2) went seven innings, allowing four hits and one run, while striking out nine.

“It’s really exciting that Laura is playing so well for us and really stepping up at the plate and on the mound,” Corcoran said. “We have a really young team, so it really helps to have an upperclassman step up, be a leader and set an example. She’s on her game right now and I think she can keep it up all year long.”

In the nightcap, the Explorers got off on a hot start when freshman Danielle Signorelli slammed a lead-off homerun. However, GW bounced back in a big way in the third, garnering four runs on four hits. Continuing the assault, the Colonials scored single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.

The Explorers attempted a comeback in the sixth, as Colonial starter Katie Miller began to lose steam. After the Colonials gave up two runs, Kristin Gallant came in to relieve Miller with the bases loaded and one out. Gallant immediately walked in a run to bring the game within two, but then finagled her way out of the inning by striking out junior Jen Street and getting Hernandez to line out to left. Gallant then retired the Explorers, 1-2-3, to convert the save and solidify a series split.

Segura (1-5) suffered the loss, allowing six runs and 10 hits, while striking out five in six innings of work.

The team then made its way out to Dayton, Ohio to play a doubleheader against the Dayton Flyers on Friday, March 24. The Explorers dropped the first game 7-4, and found themselves on the losing end of a an 8-7 extra innings battle in game two.

The Explorers began the first contest with a first-inning explosion, scoring three runs on two hits, including a two-run double by Segura. However, Dayton also came out of the gate strong, and quickly regained the lead by notching four runs on four hits, including the Christina Vetter’s two-out, two-run double to gain the lead.

Dayton built upon its lead in the second, by manufacturing a run small-ball style. Freshman Mollie Schrank started the inning off with a walk and quickly stole second. She was then sacrificed to third, and scored on a sacrifice fly from freshman Shalyn Adams.

La Salle answered back in the third, converting a run of its own on three hits, which were capped off by an RBI single from sophomore Kate Gulkis. However, the Flyers then put the game out of reach posting two more runs to win 7-4.

In the nightcap, the Explorers once again took a three run lead, this one coming in the second on the strength of RBI-doubles from Gulkis and Street. However, the Flyers chipped away at the lead, posting a run in second and two more in the third.

After tying the game, the Flyers didn’t let up, as the team put up another two-spot in the fourth. After being held scoreless for two innings, the Explorers then commandeered the lead with a three-run fifth that saw them take advantage of two Colonial errors. However, the lead was once again short-lived, as Dayton plated a run in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game at six.

Both teams remained scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings (a feat that hadn’t occurred since the first), but then La Salle got on the board in the top of the eighth. After the Explorers loaded the bases with one out, Street, who had already plated two runs, failed to put the ball in play and struck out swinging. However, Hernandez bailed her out, by slicing an RBI-single to left to take the lead.

With the victory just around the corner, the Explorers sent Corcoran out for her eighth inning of work. The Flyers made quick work of Corcoran, loading the bases with one out. With the game on the line, Corcoran was left in to face Vetter, who had walked twice and doubled in her three previous at bats against Corcoran. Vetter continued her dominance by belting a walk-off, two-run double to the left to win the game.

“It was frustrating at the end of the second Dayton game,” Corcoran said. “There were a few mental miscues, and we gave Dayton some extra bases which came back to hurt us.

“I thought I could have thrown a little bit better, but I tried to keep us in the game. I’m still making the adjustment from 40 to 43 feet on the mound, and still finding a rhythm with the coach calling the pitches and Sullivan behind the plate. It’s a learning experience, and I can only take the positives out of those two games and continue to improve and help my team out as much as I can.”

The team played Seton Hall last night, but the game ended too late to be included in this issue. Next week, the Explorers will come home for two games, one on Friday, March 31 against Massachusetts at 3 p.m., and the other on Sunday, April 2 against Rhode Island at noon. The team will then go on the road again to battle Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday, April 4 at 2 p.m.

“We have UMass on Friday and Rhode Island on Sunday this week, so there will be some great chances to show the other teams in our conference how much we have improved from last year,” Corcoran said. “This year’s team really wants to win, and hates losing, which may be even more important. Our hitting is really starting to come around, and the defense is getting better the more we play together in game situations. I’m really optimistic about where this team is going to be by the end of the year.”

viscof1@lasalle.edu