BETHANY, W.Va. – DeSales (Pa.) University scored the final six runs of the first game to record a 7-4 win over the Bethany College softball team and then claimed the ECAC South Region Tournament title with a 2-0 victory in the final game over the Bison on the second day of tournament at Bethany.
In the first game of the day, the Bulldogs reached the championship game by scoring the first three runs against Misericordia (Pa.) University and holding on for a 3-2 victory, as Christine Petrilla pitched a complete game and allowed two runs on seven hits. DeSales’ Jen Lococo started her big day by going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Misericordia was led by 1B Gina Urbon, who was 3-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored.
Needing one win to capture their first ECAC crown, Bethany fell behind early in the first championship game, as the Bulldogs scored a run in the first inning on a Petrilla RBI single. The Bison used a pair of DU errors to even the score in the second, as junior 3B Andrea Thomas (Toronto, Ohio) reached on an error, was sacrificed to second and scored on another Bulldog error with two outs.
In the fourth inning, BC scored a trio of runs to take a 4-1 lead. Singles by Thomas and freshman DP Liz Kletzli (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) were followed by a two-out triple off the top of the center field wall by freshman CF Alison Powell (Nashport, Ohio/Tri-Valley). The next batter, junior 2B Chelsea Butler (Cortland, Ohio/Lakeview), dropped a single into center field to score Powell and give the Bison a three-run cushion.
DeSales chipped into their deficit in the fifth inning when SS Kate Steiner and Lococo hit back-to-back solo home runs. A pair of Bethany errors in the sixth inning paved the way for the Bulldogs to score four times and take a 7-4 lead. A miscue and two fielder’s choices that didn’t net an out loaded the bases to start the inning. A force out at the plate was the initial out, but that was followed by a two-run double from 3B Kerri Andrews to put DU on top. Bethany’s second error of the inning sent another run across and Petrilla completed the frame with an RBI single.
Bethany managed to get two runners aboard in the sixth and seventh innings, but could not get a big hit to move any closer and Lococo finished the complete game to earn the win. The loss was charged to BC freshman Emily Jump (Milford, Del./Polytech) who pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in relief and gave up five runs, although only one was earned.
In the winner-take-all final game of the tournament, Jump and Lococo matched up again and both hurlers limited the offensive attacks, as neither team scored in the opening two frames. The Bulldogs struck for a run in the third when Steiner blasted a solo homer to left, her second long ball in as many games, for a 1-0 DU lead. Bethany was unable to muster a strong threat against Lococo, who held BC hitless until a single by Kletzli with one out in the fifth. Lococo diffused that potential scoring chance by inducing a grounder back to her and a strike out.
The Bison’s best chance came in the sixth when Butler drew a leadoff walk and a throwing error on Lococo on an attempted sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second with no outs. However, DeSales dodged a bullet when freshman RF Maria Vallone (Rochester, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) hit into a fielder’s choice that cut down the lead runner and then senior SS Ashley Marinacci (Bellaire, Ohio/Bellaire St. John’s) flared a ball behind second that Steiner nabbed in the air and she stepped on second for a double play to end the inning.
The Bulldogs tacked an insurance run on the board in the seventh when Lococo struck an RBI double to score Steiner for a 2-0 advantage. Down to their final chance, the Bison were set down in order by Lococo, who tossed a one-hitter to secure the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and lead DeSales (29-20) to their first ECAC title and a new school record for single-season wins.
Taking the hard luck loss was Jump, who pitched her 18th complete game of the season, but finished her freshman campaign with a 23-10 record. The runner-up finish was Bethany’s best showing in five trips to the ECAC Tournament and led by a senior class of Marinacci, catcher Bridgette Fauth (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick), 1B Stephanie Shafer (Lancaster, Ohio) and Janelle Windsheimer (Maynard, Ohio/Buckeye Local), BC set a new single-season record with 35 victories and reached the postseason for the third consecutive year.
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