April 7, 2009
UCONN SQUEAKS PAST BRYANT, 2-1,
TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Box Score
SMITHFIELD, R.I - The Bryant University softball team played the
University of Connecticut tough, but fell to the Huskies, 2-1,
Tuesday afternoon on a cold and windy day at the Bryant Softball
Complex. The Huskies trailed 1-0 for most of the game, but rallied
for two runs in the sixth to just edge past the Bulldogs in the
end.
Junior shortstop Ali Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.)
quickly put the Bulldogs on top in the contest, hitting a lead-off
home run in the bottom of the first to give Bryant a 1-0 lead.
Chouinard launched the offering from Trisha Sullivan over the fence
in left center field for her first big fly of the year and number
11 of her career. She now ranks third all-time on the Bulldog home
run list, trailing Amanda Gagne by only one for second place.
Samantha Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) and the
Bulldog defense made that lead stick for the majority of the
contest. Houseal helped herself in the third, making a great stab
on a hard shot back at her by Jillian Ortega, holding the tying run
at third base.
Houseal set the single season record in the game for innings
pitched in a season with 191.2 for the year, eclipsing the record
set by Janine Enos last season. The sophomore went all seven in the
contest, allowing just the two runs with one being earned while
striking out four.
The Huskies (22-10) threatened again in the fifth, loading the
bases with only one down. Chouinard made a nice defensive play,
fielding a ground ball hit by Ortega and gunning down Jess Arremony
at home to get the second out. Houseal then got UConn clean-up
hitting Amy DeLuca to ground out to the end inning with Bryant
still hanging out to a 1-0 lead.
Connecticut finally got on the board in the sixth, as Justyne
Roy hit a one out double to right center field that scored
pinch-runner Amy Adelman to knot the game at 1-1. After Roy
advanced to third on the throw home to get Adelman, Houseal got a
big strikeout, setting down Megan Tierney who missed on a
two-strike bunt attempt for the second out. Roy was heading home on
the play, and the Bulldogs got her into a run-down, but a dropped
ball at the plate allowed Roy to slide in with the go-ahead run, as
they escaped with a 2-1 victory.
Regina Burdo (Wayne, Pa.), who has been stellar
with the glove at third base this season, made another web gem of a
play to get Bryant out of a jam in the seventh. The sophomore
stabbed a line drive hit to her right, and fired over to second to
double off the runner, with Laura Bowen (Hudson,
Mass.) stretching to make the catch and end the frame,
keeping the deficit at 2-1.
The Bulldogs (8-25) put one runner on in the bottom of the sixth
but could not score, and went down in order in the seventh against
Sullivan, who has been the Huskies' ace all year. Sullivan picked
up her 13th win on the hill in 19 appearances.
Ashley Coon (Levittown, Pa.) extended her
hitting streak to four-straight games with a single in third, while
Anne Dobmeier (Buffalo, N.Y.) and
Stephanie Mirando (North Haven, Conn.) also hit
singles in the contest.
The Bulldogs will have a week in between contests, as they
travel to play the University at Albany in a doubleheader next
Wednesday (2 p.m.).
Connecticut 2, Bryant University 1 (Apr 07, 2009 at Smithfield,
R.I.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut......... 000 002 0 - 2 9
1 (21-11)
Bryant University... 100 000 0 - 1 4
1 (8-25)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Connecticut - SULLIVAN. Bryant University - Samantha
Houseal.
Win-SULLIVAN(13-6) Loss-Samantha Houseal(8-22)
T-1:30 A-25
HR BRY - Ali Chouinard (1).
Weather: cloudy, cold
