Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Quinnipiac
Softball Comes Up Short Against Quinnipiac
February 20, 2011 | Softball
Box Score
FARMVILLE, N.Y. - Catcher Jordan Paolucci's walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning snapped a tied game and lifted Quinnipiac to a 6-5 victory over Army in the first of four games being played the final day of competition at the Lancer Leadoff Classic. The loss is the second straight for the Black Knights (4-3) and the first win of the season for the Bobcats (1-2).
The game was tied three times with the Bobcats snapping all three deadlocks. Junior first baseman's Alex AuBuchon's two-out RBI double delivered Meghan McGowan, who walked, in the top of the fourth inning as Army retied the game 2-2. After yielding her second walk in that inning, Quinnipiac's Emily O'Keefe stranded both runners when she got the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice.
The Bobcats, who snapped a 1-1 tie with a run in the bottom of the third inning, answered with three runs (only one earned) in the bottom of the fourth inning as they went in front for the third time after benefitting from three walks, two hits and an error. RBI singles by Christy Cabrera and Lauren Salgado delivered the final two runs as Quinnipiac pulled in front 5-2.
Army cut that deficit with a run in the top of the fifth on Angela Deger's fielder's choice RBI that delivered freshman April Ortenzo, who led off that inning with a double, to draw to 5-3. The Black Knights retied it on Ortenzo's two-run single in the top of the sixth inning after collecting her second hit in four at bats.
The Black Knights capitalized in the top of the sixth inning off relief pitcher Mina Duffy, who immediately got into a jam after loading the bases with three straight walks and no outs. That forced the return of O'Keefe, and the freshman right-hander picked up two quick force plays at home plate before giving up the two-run single to Ortenzo that retied the game 5-5 when she drove in Natalia Gruenbaum and pinch runner Clara Navarro. With runners in the corners, O'Keefe got the next batter on an infield groundout to close the door.
Army freshman reliever Marina Northup (0-1), who retired the side after taking over from starter Shawna Bleyl in the bottom of the fifth and giving up a hit in the sixth, was tagged with the hard-luck loss in the tie-breaking seventh. After getting the first two batters on infield groundouts, the third batter she faced in that inning ripped a home run to left center field as Quinnipiac avenged a 5-3 loss to Army in the first game of the Classic.
The Black Knights' first run of the game in the top of the second tied the score 1-1 on Reanna Johnson's RBI single that delivered Deger, who led off the inning with a double, and moved to third on a fielder's choice. With one out, Johnson advanced to second on a wild pitch while the next batter drew a walk. With runners at first and second, Army's rally was nipped by a foul ball popup and strikeout.
Army had six hits off O'Keefe (1-1), to included three doubles, who walked five and struck out two along with three earned runs, along with nine stranded runners. The Bobcats had six hits off Army's two starters who combined for four strikeouts.
The Black Knights close out competition at the Lancer Leadoff Class taking on IUPUI later today.
