April 15, 2008
Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Rhode Island softball team suffered a pair of defeats at the hands of the University of Massachusetts Tuesday afternoon in Atlantic 10 action at the UMass Softball Complex. The Rams (13-27, 3-11 A-10) lost game one 4-0 and game two 12-3.
After being blanked in game one, the Rams struck early in game two as junior Stefani Poedubicky (Wrightstown, N.J.) opened the contest with a triple and scored on an illegal pitch in the first, giving URI a 1-0 lead. Senior Shelly Peterson (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) followed with a single and scored on a two-out single by classmate Danielle Quimby (Lake Forest, Calif.) to make it 2-0 in favor of the Rams.
Freshman Stacey Stanovich (Northbridge, Mass.) worked a scoreless first and retired the first two batters in the second for URI before a single by Whitney Williams opened the door to a five-run inning for UMass (29-11, 14-0 A-10). Williams scored the first UMass run on a double by Carly Morin, and Carly Normandin tied the game with a triple that score Morin. Lindsay Maroney followed with a double to score Normandin to give UMass a 3-2 lead, and Lauren Proctor doubled the lead with a double that plated Maroney. Whitney Mollica drove in the fifth run with a single that scored Proctor.
The Rams got a run back in the third on Poedubicky's second home run of the season to cut the deficit to 5-3, but the Minutewomen answered with a run in their half of the third and six in the fourth to grab a 12-3 lead. Whitney Williams and Carly Morin hit back-to-back home run to lead the attack.
Stanovich allowed 10 hits and seven runs before being replaced by senior Jill Anderson (Cohoes, N.Y.), who allowed five hits and five runs in one inning of work. Bailey Sanders allowed five hits and three runs while striking out eight in five innings of work for UMass.
In game one, the Minutewomen scored four unearned runs to capture the win. A fielding error on a ground ball hit by Sarah Reeves plated Jill Andrews with the first UMass run, and Jessica Serio laced a double to center that scored Reeves to make it 2-0. After Davina Hernandez pinch-ran for Serio, Lindsay Maroney singled her home to stretch the lead to 3-0. In the fifth, Lauren Proctor reached on an error and scored on a single by Samantha Salato to make it 4-0 and close the scoring.
Anderson started for the Rams and allowed five hits and four unearned runs over six innings, walking none and striking out three. Brandice Balschmiter picked up the win for UMass as she held the Rams to one hit - a single by sophomore Melissa Wilson (Longview, Wash.) in the first - while striking out nine.
The Rams return to action on Friday when they host Dayton at 3 p.m.
