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2003 SOFTBALL NEWS ARCHIVE
SOFTBALL'S ANDEE LINDGREN NAMED SECOND TEAM ALL-NORTHEAST REGION Lawrenceville, N.J. -- Junior left-handed pitcher Andee Lindgren has been named to National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Northeast Region second team in voting by the region's head coaches, as announced on Thursday, May 15. It marks the second time that an Albany player has earned all-region honors at the Division I level. Lindgren, the America East Conference Pitcher of the Year, was the ace of the UAlbany pitching staff this season, leading the team to a school-record 34 wins and a second-place finish at the America East softball championship tournament. The LaHabra, Calif. native posted a record of 20-6 with five saves and an ERA of 1.18. She matched the school's single-season victories record and shattered the strikeout mark with 171. In addition, Lindgren was first-team All-America East and named to the conference's all-tournament team. ************************ Two Great Danes on Verizon All-District I Academic Softball Team Jamaica, N.Y. -- Senior catcher Stacy Kowal and junior pitcher Andee Lindgren were both named second team Verizon Academic All-District I in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Kowal was named to the all-district squad for the second consecutive year. Kowal, who has a 3.59 cumulative grade point average in business administration, hit .271 with 11 RBI this season and was a first-team All-America East catcher. Lindgren, who has a 3.57 GPA in psychology, went 20-6 with a 1.18 ERA and recorded 171 strikeouts as the A-East pitcher of the year. BOSTON U. SWEEPS ALBANY TO CAPTURE AMERICA EAST SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Stony Brook, N.Y.-- Sophomore pitcher Julie Henneke tossed all 14 innings and allowed two runs on six hits, as Boston U. swept a doubleheader from Albany to win the America East Conference softball championship at University Field on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers won the first, 5-1, and took the nightcap, 3-1. Boston U. receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Boston U. (33-21) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Henneke's single advanced Abbey Pauley, who reached on a fielder's choice, to second before Pauley scored on an RBI-single by Jamie Hass. Jenni Shields then delivered a two-out two-RBI double to the wall in left field to plate Henneke and Hass. Albany (34-10) mounted a rally in the top of the seventh as Julie Gannon walked with one out. Gannon went to third on Maegan Larsen's single to right center and scored on Liz Wieboldt's single up the middle. Ali Meacham pinch hit for Megan Craft and lined into a double play to end the game. In the first game, Boston U. staved off elimination by scoring three runs in the second, one in the third and one in the fourth. Henneke, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, delivered the big blow with a two-run single in the second to plate Josey Mendez and Hass, who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Albany pitcher Andee Lindgren lasted into the third allowing four runs on seven hits, before being replaced by Kristin Couris. Henneke went the distance, allowing one unearned run on three hits with six strikeouts. Lindgren, Larsen and Stacy Kowal were named to the All-Tournament Team. ***************** 2003
America East Conference Softball Championship Friday,
May 9 Saturday,
May 10
LINDGREN, LARSEN & CANNATA EARN AMERICA EAST'S TOP SOFTBALL AWARDS Boston, Mass. - University at Albany's Andee Lindgren has been chosen as the America East Conference Pitcher of the Year in softball as announced on Wednesday, May 7 by the conference office. Lindgren, a junior left-hander, was also named to the America East first team in voting by the league's head coaches. Chris Cannata was chosen as the Coach of the Year, while Maegan Larsen was named Rookie of the Year. Lindgren, a transfer from Fullerton Community College, took the league by storm in her first year. She went 18-4 overall, 11-1 in league play, including five saves with a 1.02 ERA. She leads the conference with 156 strikeouts and needs 14 more to set the school record. The LaHabra, Calif. native tossed her first career no-hitter, one of seven shutouts this spring, against Sacred Heart on March 21. Freshman shortstop Maegan Larsen was chosen as the league's Rookie of the Year, as well as making the first team and all-rookie squad. The Carteret, N.J. native has started all 40 games this year and leads the team in hitting with a .314 average, which ranks 10th in the conference. She is third in America East with 23 RBI and leads the Great Danes in several offensive categories, including doubles (9), triples (3), home runs (2) and slugging (.492). UAlbany's Chris Cannata was named Coach of Year. Now in her ninth season, the 1985 Albany graduate has amassed a 235-124 career mark in guiding the program through the transition from Division III to the NCAA Division I level. In 1999, she guided the Great Danes to a school-record 33 victories. Cannata has led her current squad to a 32-8 mark, 17-4 in conference, and is the No. 2 seed in this week's conference tournament. Her conference record of 29-16 the last two seasons, is second only to Boston University’s 36-6 mark. Joining Lindgren and Larsen on the first team were senior Stacy Kowal and junior Jen Nolette (Columbia). Kowal, a senior tri-captain, has been steady behind the plate as a catcher, while hitting .279 with 11 RBI. Nolette, an outfielder, is second on the squad with a .305 average, and leads the team in runs scored (24) and stolen bases (18). Freshmen Katrina Dunning and Ashley Rios were both named second-team all-conference and to the America East All-Rookie Team. Dunning, a freshman second baseman, is seventh on the team in hitting with a .275 average and leads the Great Danes with 38 hits and nine doubles. Rios is second on the team in RBI with 18, including one homer, two triples and eight doubles. Albany will meet third seed Maine on Thursday, May 8 in the opening round of the America East tournament at Stony Brook's University Field. Game time is 12 noon. The winner of the three-day, double-elimination tournament receives a NCAA automatic berth. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday, May 10. ALBANY SOFTBALL SEEDED SECOND FOR AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT Boston, Mass. -- Albany will be the number two seed in this week's America East Conference softball championship tournament, as announced on Monday, May 5 by the conference office. The Great Danes garnered the second seed after finishing 17-4 in league play, just one-half game behind Boston U. The winner of the double elimination tournament receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament field. Albany (32-8, AE 17-4) will meet the third seed Maine (25-20, AE 13-9) in the opening round on Thursday, May 8 at University Field on the Stony Brook University campus at 12 noon. The Great Danes took three out of four games from the Black Bears earlier this season. Last year, Albany knocked Maine out of the postseason tournament with a 4-0 win in the loser's bracket. Boston U. (29-20, AE 17-3), the #1 seed and defending champion, will play host Stony Brook (25-31, AE 12-10) in the other first round game at 2:30 p.m. The winners from the first two games will meet on Friday, May 9 at 11 p.m. The winner from that contest advances to Saturday's championship clash at 12 p.m. The losers of games one and two will vie to stay alive at 2:30 p.m., with the winner of that game battling the loser of the previous contest to decide who will advance to the final. Andee Lindgren, who is 18-4 with five saves and a 1.02 ERA, is the ace of the Albany staff. Maegan Larsen is the squad's best hitter, batting .314 with two home runs and 23 RBI. Also playing key roles for the Great Danes: Jen Nolette (.312, 24 runs, 14 RBI and 18 steals), Katrina Dunning (.275, 38 hits, 17 runs, nine doubles, 12 RBI) and Ashley Rios (.261, 24 hits, 10 runs, 18 RBI). **************** 2003
America East Conference Softball Championship Friday,
May 9 Saturday,
May 10
SOFTBALL SWEPT BY BOSTON U. IN BATTLE FOR AMERICA EAST REGULAR-SEASON CROWN Boston, Mass. – Jennifer Shields homered to lead off the ninth inning in the opener, as Boston University swept an America East Conference doubleheader from Albany on Sunday, May 4 at BU Softball Field. The Terriers, who won the twinbill, 4-3 and 4-0, captured the conference’s regular-season title and earned the No. 1 seed for next weekend’s league tournament. Albany (32-8, AE 17-4) built a 3-0 lead in the first game. Liz Wieboldt lined a run-scoring double into the left-field gap in the second inning. The Great Danes, who had won 11 straight entering the contest, tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth. Andrea Lindgren belted a solo homer, her first of the season, while Jen Nolette plated another runner with a ground out. Boston U. (29-20, AE 17-3) rallied in its last at-bat to send the game to extra innings. Tiffany Finateri produced the first run with a double down the left-field line, before later scoring on an infielder’s error. DeKenya Williams walked with two outs and the bases loaded to score Julie Henneke with the tying run. In the ninth, Shields slugged her third home run of the year over the right-field fence. Lindgren, who fell to 18-4 overall on the mound, suffered her first loss this season against conference opposition. The Great Danes will be the No. 2 seed in the America East tournament on May 8-10 in Stony Brook, N.Y. Finateri dominated the nightcap with a three-hit shutout, her second of the spring. She struck out three and walked two to improve to 7-6 on the hill. First baseman Liz Alley, who had a pair of hits, delivered a RBI single in a two-run first inning. The Terriers, who have won 20 of their last 24 starts, scored twice in the sixth for insurance. SOFTBALL TAKES OVER FIRST PLACE IN THE CONFERENCE WITH SWEEP OF BOSTON U. Boston, Mass. -- Freshman Ali Meacham's pinch-hit two-run double in the top of sixth gave Albany a sweep of an America East Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Boston U. Softball Field. The Great Danes, who moved into first place with the two wins, took game one, 6-1, and came-from-behind in game two, 6-5. Albany (32-6, AE 17-2), which has won 11 in a row and 18 of its last 20, trailed 5-3 entering the top of the sixth before rallying with three in the frame to take the lead. Megan Craft, who homered in the first game, brought home Liz Weiboldt with an RBI-single to cut the lead to 5-4. After a Stacy Kowal groundout advanced Craft and Maegan Larsen to second and third, respectively, Meacham doubled to left field to drive in the tying and winning runs and make a winner out of Kristin Couris, who is now 10-1. Andrea Lindgren pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit to earn her fifth save of the year. Boston U. (27-20, 15-3), the defending America East champions, had taken the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as DeKenya Williams' hit a grand slam over the fence in left center to give the Terriers their first lead of the afternoon. In the opener, Katrina Dunning went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and Lindgren won her 11th straight game to lead the Great Danes to the win. Craft broke a scoreless tie when she was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded and Kowal drove in two, as Albany scored four in the fourth. Lindgren, who is undefeated in conference play with an 11-0 mark, went the distance and allowed one hit, a homer to Tiffany Finateri, to improve to 18-3 on the season. The two teams complete the four-game series with a twinbill tomorrow. Albany needs one win to clinch the regular-season league title and the number one seed. SOFTBALL LOCKS UP NO. 2 SEED FOR AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT WITH SWEEP Burlington, Vt. -- Junior pitcher Andrea Lindgren won her tenth straight game in the opener and recorded a save in the nightcap, as Albany swept an America East Conference doubleheader from Vermont on Wednesday, April 30 at Post Field. The Great Danes, which have nine in-a-row and 16 of their last 18, took the first game, 6-0, and won the second contest, 7-5. Albany (30-6, AE 15-2), which has clinched the number two seed in the upcoming conference postseason tournament, overcame a 1-0 deficit in the third inning of the night cap with a three-run uprising. Katrina Dunning's sacrifice fly gave Albany the lead for good. The Great Danes tacked on four more runs in the sixth to make the score 7-1, two of which came on Maegan Larsen's second home run of the year. Vermont (7-27, AE 5-21) mounted a rally in the bottom of the inning, as Ashley Stebbins' RBI single chased Danielle Buyea, who came on in relief of Kristin Couris, and cut the deficit to 7-4. Lindgren entered with the bases loaded and after allowing a run to score on a wild pitch, she struck out Angie Totaro to end the threat. The left-hander got the final three outs in the seventh to earn her fourth save. In the opener, Liz Wieboldt and Megan Craft each collected two RBI and Lindgren blanked the Catamounts on one hit, her seventh shutout of the season. Wieboldt doubled in the first to give the Great Danes a 2-0 lead and later came around to score on a single by Larsen. Lindgren struck out a career-high 15 to improve to 17-3 overall and a perfect 10-0 in conference play.
SOFTBALL CLINCHES AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT BERTH WITH STONY BROOK SWEEP Albany, N.Y. -- Senior catcher Stacy Kowal delivered a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth to plate the winning run in the nightcap, as Albany swept an America East Conference doubleheader with Stony Brook on Monday, April 28 at Albany Field. The Great Danes, who took all four games in the weekend series, won the first game, 4-2, and the second, 2-1 in extra innings. Albany (28-6, AE 13-2), which has won seven straight and 14 of its last 16 starts, clinched a spot in the America East Conference Tournament with the twinbill sweep. The Great Danes also finished their home schedule with an unblemished 13-0 record. In the second game, Katrina Dunning led off the eighth with a single and then was pinch run for by Brittany Burnham. The sophomore outfielder advanced to second on a wild pitch and next to third on a passed ball. Kowal then laced a 1-0 offering from Stony Brook starter Angela Andrews, who went the distance in both games, into the gap in right-center field to score Burnham with the winning run. Andrea Lindgren relieved Albany starter Danielle Buyea, who went six innings and allowed one run on three hits, in the seventh to garner her ninth consecutive victory and improve her record to 16-3 this spring. The junior left-hander, who is also 9-0 in conference play, allowed two hits and struck outs in two innings on the mound. Lindgren, as a starter in the opener, retired the first 18 Stony Brook batters before Stephanie DiBiase led off the seventh with a home run to spark a late rally. Stony Brook (19-31, AE 6-10) had the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs, but Lindgren recorded one her 10 strikeouts in the contest when she sent down Stephanie McCarthy swinging to end the threat. Ashley Rios went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Jen Nolette scored twice for the Great Danes.
TWO UALBANY ATHLETES EARN WEEKLY AMERICA EAST SOFTBALL AWARDS Boston, Mass. – UAlbany’s Andrea Lindgren and Maegan Larsen were both honored by the America East Conference on Monday, April 28 with the league’s weekly softball awards. Lindgren was named as the conference’s player of the week, while Larsen earned co-rookie of the week recognition. Lindgren, who is 14-3 on the season with an 0.95 earned run average, threw a pair of shutouts against league opponents. She blanked Stony Brook on two hits, her sixth shutout of the season, in Sunday’s 8-0 victory. The junior left-hander allowed two singles and struck out four. Lindgren also fired a three-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over Vermont on April 25, as she totaled 10 strikeouts and one walk. At the plate, Lindgren went 7-for-11 with four runs scored and five RBI. She posted a .636 batting average and slugged .727. Larsen, a freshman shortstop, batted .600 (6-for-10) with a triple in last week’s action. She scored four runs and added three walks with three RBI. Larsen leads the team in RBI (20) and slugging percentage (.505), plus is hitting .326 overall.
SOFTBALL SWEEPS AMERICA-EAST RIVAL STONY BROOK BEHIND LINDGREN'S PLAY Albany, N.Y. – Andrea Lindgren fired her sixth shutout of the season in the opener and totaled four hits and five RBI on the day, as Albany swept an America East Conference doubleheader from Stony Brook on Sunday, April 27 at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the first game, 8-0, and the second, 8-1. Lindgren posted her seventh consecutive victory on the mound in the first contest, as she improved her record to 14-3. The junior left-hander allowed two singles, struck out four and walked one in the five-inning affair. Albany (26-6, AE 11-2) snapped a scoreless deadlock with a six-run fourth. Senior catcher Stacy Kowal singled through the right side to drive in the first run, before Jen Nolette (Columbia) delivered a RBI single. Lindgren ended the outburst with a two-run single to right field. In the nightcap, Stony Brook (19-29, AE 6-8) took a 1-0 lead in its first at-bat on Hayley Durham’s RBI single. The Great Danes, who have won 12 of their last 14 starts, scored twice in both the first and second to go ahead. Nolette tripled and scored on Lindgren’s single up the middle. Jess Kostenblatt later lined a single through the left side to give her team the lead. Ashley Rios belted a two-run double into the right-field gap for a 4-1 advantage. Albany shortstop Maegan Larsen collected four hits, scored a pair of runs and had one RBI in the twinbill. Nolette, a junior left fielder, finished with three hits and five runs. Right-hander Kristin Couris upped her record to 8-1 by scattering four hits and recording five strikeouts.
SOFTBALL TAKES TWO FROM VERMONT IN AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE ACTION Albany, N.Y. – Andrea Lindgren recorded a three-hit shutout, her fifth of the season, in the opener, and Albany went on to sweep Vermont in an America East Conference doubleheader on Friday, April 25 at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the first game, 1-0, and the second, 9-1. Lindgren, who registered her sixth straight win on the mound, upped her record to 13-3 this spring. The junior left-hander struck out 10 and walked one, but had to work out of last-inning jam. Following an error by the left fielder and a walk, Vermont (5-21, AE 3-15) had runners at second and third with one out. But Lindgren forced Asleigh Veins to pop out to the catcher and Christine Toomey to ground out to end the contest for her 15th complete-game effort. The Great Danes, who have won 10 of their last 12 starts, produced the game’s lone run in the first inning. Liz Wieboldt lined a one-out double and later scored on Ashley Rios’ sacrifice fly to left field. In the nightcap, Albany (24-6, AE 9-2) scored four times in the first and third innings. Rios plated two runs with a triple to right field, and then later came across on Maegan Larsen’s fielder’s choice RBI. In the fourth, catcher Ali Meacham cleared the bases with a double to the base of the fence in left field. Junior pitcher Kristen Couris went four strong innings to improve her record to 7-1, while Jen Nolette singled twice and scored a pair of runs.
SOFTBALL WINS THREE OF FOUR GAMES IN WEEKEND SERIES AT MAINE Orono, Maine – Junior left fielder Jen Nolette drove in a pair of runs and pitcher Andrea Lindgren recorded her 12th victory of the season in the nightcap, as Albany split an America East Conference doubleheader with Maine on Saturday, April 19 at Mike Kessock Field. The Great Danes won the second contest, 5-3, but dropped the opener, 3-0. In game two, Albany (22-6, AE 7-2) took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Maegan Larsen doubled in Nolette, who had led off with a single. The Great Danes picked up two more runs in the fourth on Stacy Kowal’s RBI double and a run-scoring single by Nolette. Maine (15-15, AE 5-5) closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Brittany Cheney doubled and later scored, while left fielder Erin Provost produced another run with a two-bagger to center field. The Great Danes, who have won eight of their last 10 games, added two needed insurance runs in the fifth. Ashley Rios lined a RBI single to right field, before Nolette scored another run with a ground out to second base. Lindgren worked out of mild trouble in the sixth and seventh to improve to 12-3 on the mound. She struck out five and walked two. In the first game, Jenna Merchant fired a three-hit shutout to even her record at 8-8 overall. The sophomore right-hander recorded five strikeouts and one walk. Merchant also helped herself at the plate by driving in a pair of runs. She had a sacrifice fly in the third and a RBI single in the fifth. The Great Danes, who swept a pair of games from Maine on Friday, 4-2 and 5-2, return to action on Tuesday, April 22 with a make-up conference road doubleheader against Vermont at 2:00 p.m.
SOFTBALL REACHES 20-WIN MARK WITH AMERICA EAST DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP Orono, Maine – Junior pitcher Andrea Lindgren won her fourth straight game and earned her third save of the year, as Albany swept an America East Conference doubleheader from Maine on Friday, April 18 at Kessock Field. The Great Danes took the opener, 4-2, and rallied to win the nightcap, 5-2. Albany (21-5, AE 6-1) took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth of the nightcap when Ashley Rios plated Carly Isaacs with a RBI single. Jess Kostenblatt also had a run-scoring single for the Great Danes, who crossed the plate four times in the frame. Lindgren went the distance to earn her 11th win against three losses, as she allowed two unearned runs and struck out eight. Left fielder Jen Nolette drove in a pair of runs in the victory. In the first game, Lindgren came on in relief of starter Kristin Couris in the sixth inning to record the final six outs. She picked up the save by forcing Molly McKinney to ground out to end the game. Albany’s Liz Wieboldt singled and scored on a wild pitch to break a 1-1 tie in the third. Lindgren, who also had a RBI, later came home on a throwing error by the center fielder. Leslie Busch’s infield single in the fourth pushed across another run for a 4-1 lead. Brittany Cheney and Nikki Taylor had three hits in the doubleheader for the Black Bears, who fell to 15-15 and 4-4 in conference.
SOFTBALL RALLIES TO SWEEP ARMY IN NON-CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER Albany, N.Y. - Katrina Dunning hit a one-out double down the right field line in the sixth inning to plate two runs, as Albany came from behind in game two to sweep a non-conference doubleheader from Army on Wednesday, April 16 at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the first, 1-0, then rallied to take the second, 4-1. In the nightcap, Albany (19-5) trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, as Army pitcher Leigh Harrell had retired all 15 batters she faced. Jen Nolette singled to open the stanza and then Leslie Busch reached on an error when she attempted to sacrifice Nolette over to second. After a Brittany Burnham sacrifice bunt, Dunning smashed a double off the mitt of Black Knights' first baseman Lisa Huntington to drive in both runs and give Albany a 2-1 lead. The Great Danes, who are 7-0 at home this spring, scored two more in the inning on an RBI single by Andrea Lindgren and a run-scoring double by Ashley Rios to push the lead to 4-1. Danielle Buyea went the distance, allowing one run and scattering six hits, while striking out six to improve her record to 4-1. The Black Knights fell to 14-15 overall. In the opener, Lindgren fired her fourth shutout of the season and shortstop Maegan Larsen doubled in pinch-runner Carly Isaacs for the game's lone run in the fourth. Lindgren, who had a no-hitter through the 5 1/3 innings, allowed four hits and struck out nine in posting her tenth victory. Albany returns to conference play this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders at Maine on April 18-19.
SOFTBALL SPLITS AMERICA EAST DOUBLEHEADER WITH BINGHAMTON Vestal, N.Y. -- Ashley Rios and Julie Gannon each drove in a pair of runs in the nightcap, as Albany split an America East Conference doubleheader with Binghamton on Tuesday afternoon at East Gym Complex. The Great Danes won the second game, 7-2, but lost the opener, 5-0. Albany (17-5, AE 4-1) used a four-run first inning to get on top early in the second contest. Rios doubled into the right-field gap to score Katrina Dunning, who led off with a single up the middle. Gannon drove in two more runs with a double to left field, before she crossed the plate on Jess Kostenblatt's ground out to second. Rios and Jen Nolette (Columbia) hit solo home runs in the third and fifth innings. Starting pitcher Andrea Lindgren, who had a pair of hits, doubled in her team's final run in the seventh. Lindgren went all the way on the mound to improve her record to 9-3 on the season. She scattered seven hits while striking out two and walking one. Sophomore pitcher Michelle Weeks blanked Albany on three hits, her fifth shutout of the spring, in the first game. Weeks, who upped her record to 6-2, struck out six and had no walks. Binghamton (11-10, AE 3-3) did all of its scoring in the first inning, as Leah Truncale keyed the uprising with a two-run single. Jennifer Richardson added an RBI single, while Samantha Ackerman drove in another run with a sacrifice fly.
SOFTBALL SWEEPS DOUBLEHEADER FROM CROSSTOWN-RIVAL SIENA Albany, N.Y. – Freshman catcher Ali Meacham delivered a run-scoring single with two outs in the seventh inning of the nightcap to lead Albany to a non-conference doubleheader sweep over Siena on Sunday, April 13 at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the second game, 6-5, and the first contest, 2-0. Siena (5-12) scored three times in the second inning to take a 4-3 lead. Left fielder Becky Brockman, who collected three hits, had a RBI single, while Christa Fasano lined a run-scoring double in the uprising. Starting pitcher Tara Campbell’s RBI single in the fifth gave her club a two-run margin. Albany (16-4) tied the contest at five apiece in the sixth, when pinch-hitter Liz Wieboldt singled through the right side to score Julie Gannon. Meacham plated the winning run in her team’s last at-bat with a line drive to left field with the bases loaded. In the first game, Andrea Lingdren fired a three-hit shutout, her third of the season. She improved her record to 8-3 on the mound by recording five strikeouts and one walk. The Great Danes scored in the second when Maegan Larsen crossed the plate on Gannon’s RBI groundout. Katrina Dunning drove in another run in the fifth with a double down the right-field line.
SOFTBALL DROPS A NON-CONFERENCE GAME ON THE ROAD TO IONA New Rochelle, N.Y. – Kate Giella went 2-for-4 including the game-winning double in the bottom of the seventh, as Iona defeated Albany, 1-0, on Tuesday evening at Pinebrook Field. Game two of the doubleheader was suspended due to inclement weather with the Great Danes leading 7-5 in the fourth inning. The Gaels (4-11) scored the game’s lone run after Alison Higgs, who went 2-for-3, led off the seventh with a single. After a strikeout and a walk to Aviva Jorstad, Giella doubled to left center to drive in Higgs and end the game. Higgs was also the game’s winning pitcher, tossing a complete-game shutout on three hits while striking out four. Andrea Lindgren saw her five-game winning streak come to an end with the loss, as she went the distance allowing one run on five hits and recording eight strikeouts.
SOFTBALL'S DUNNING & BASEBALL'S MARTIN EARN AMERICA EAST HONORS Boston, Mass. – University at Albany’s Jason Martin has been chosen as the America East Conference Player of the Week in baseball, as announced on Monday, March 31 by the conference office. Martin, a sophomore catcher, batted .625 with eight RBI in five games last week. Martin, a native of Bloomingburg, N.Y., went 5-for-5, including a homer, and drove in six runs in the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader with Yale. The Great Danes posted a 14-11 victory in the contest. Martin, who is hitting .407 on the season after going 10-for-16 at the plate last week, has a 10-game hitting streak. Albany (6-12) begins America East Conference play on April 5-6 with a weekend series at Stony Brook. Katrina Dunning has been tabbed as the America East Conference Rookie of the Week in softball. Dunning, a freshman second baseman, posted a .667 batting average with one double, two stolen bases and three RBI in three conference victories. She went 4-for-4 in the second game of a doubleheader with Hartford, a 5-1 win, on March 28. Dunning is second on the team in hitting with a .377 average.
SOFTBALL WINS THREE GAMES IN AMERICA EAST WEEKEND SERIES WITH HARTFORD Albany, N.Y. - Junior Jen Nolette went 3-for-3 with two RBI, as Albany posted a 6-3 win over Hartford in game one of a scheduled America East Conference doubleheader on Saturday, March 29 at Albany Field. The second game was suspended in the top of the fifth with Hartford leading, 6-3, due to rain and will be resumed on April 24. Albany (14-3, AE 3-0) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Katrina Dunning singled home Nolette, who doubled with two outs. The Great Danes, who won their fifth straight, added four runs in the third thanks to two Hartford fielding errors. Megan Craft’s ground ball to third with the bases loaded went through the legs of Liz Borawski and down the leftfield line to bring home Andrea Lindgren, who reached on an error, and Julie Gannon, who walked. Craft would later score on Nolette’s single to increase the lead to 5-0. Nolette tacked on another run with a single through the right side in the fifth. Samantha Morrison went 3-for-3 with one RBI and a run scored for the Hawks, who fell to 1-11 and 0-3 in conference play. Borawski homered in the sixth, her first of the season. Lindgren, who posted her fifth straight victory, went the distance, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out eight to improve her record to 7-2. On Friday, March 28th, freshman shortstop Maegan Larsen had four hits and drove in five runs, and Katrina Dunning added five hits, as Albany swept a conference doubleheader from Hartford in the Great Danes' home opener. Albany won the first game, 4-0, and the second contest, 5-1. Dunning, a second baseman, went 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored in the nightcap. Her run-scoring single in the third inning helped break a 1-1 tie. Larsen, who had a pair of hits, then doubled home Dunning for a 3-1 lead. Junior pitcher Kristin Couris gave up two hits while going the distance on the mound in improving to 5-0 on the season. In the first game, Larsen singled and tripled to drive in three runs. Her three-bagger in the second plated Ashley Rios, who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Larsen's single with the bases loaded in the third was part of a three-run frame. Lindgren picked up her fourth straight win and upped her record to 6-2 overall. She allowed just two hits and struck out nine en route to her second shutout of the spring.
SOFTBALL'S LINDGREN & LARSEN WIN AMERICA EAST WEEKLY SOFTBALL AWARDS Boston, Mass. – University at Albany’s Andrea Lindgren has been chosen as the America East Conference Pitcher of the Week in women’s softball, as announced on Tuesday, March 25 by the conference office. Freshman shortstop Maegan Larsen was tabbed as the America East rookie of the week. Lindgren, a junior right-hander from LaHabra, Calif., recorded the first no-hitter by an Albany pitcher in two years, when she blanked Sacred Heart, 10-0, on March 21 at the UMBC Spring Classic. She struck out four while facing one batter over the minimum. Lindgren also picked up her second save of the season in last Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Maryland-Baltimore County. She has a 5-2 record in nine appearances, and is second in the conference with a 1.34 earned run average. Larsen, of Carteret, N.J., was voted the UMBC Spring Classic’s offensive MVP award, as she batted .385 in 13 at-bats with two game-winning hits. Her single with two outs in the fifth inning scored the winning run against Canisius. She also drilled a two-run homer in the victory over Maryland-Baltimore County. Larsen ranks fourth among the America East leaders with a .384 batting average, plus is fifth in RBI (10) and tied for third in doubles (4).
SOFTBALL WINS TWO OF THREE GAMES ON SATURDAY AT UMBC SPRING CLASSIC Baltimore, Md. - Freshman Maegan Larsen’s single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth plated Jen Nolette, as Albany defeated Cansius, 2-1, on Saturday, March 22 at the UMBC Softball Stadium. The Great Danes won two of three on day two of the UMBC Spring Classic, falling to Drexel, 1-0, and beating Maryland-Baltimore County, 3-2, in a completion of Friday’s suspended game. Albany (11-3) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth against Canisius, as Brittany Burnham, who pinch ran for Andrea Lindgren, scored when the Golden Griffin’s Amanda Luukinen mishandled Julie Gannon’s groundball. Lindgren pitched a complete game by allowing one run on five hits, while striking out six. She picked up her third straight win and fifth of the season. Earlier in the day, Drexel’s Elizabeth Fuller hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third and tossed a one-hit shutout. Danielle Buyea was equally as tough allowing just two hits over six innings, while recording her first loss of the year. Prior to the Drexel game, Albany completed its contest from the previous day against UMBC. Larsen belted a two-run homer to give the Great Danes a 3-0 lead. Kristin Couris pitched the first six innings, giving up two runs on four hits to improve her record to 4-0. Lindgren entered in the seventh to earn her second save.
SOFTBALL'S ANDREA LINDGREN TOSSES NO-HITTER IN 10-0 WIN OVER SACRED HEART Baltimore, Md. – Junior Andrea Lindgren tossed her first career no-hitter and went 2-for-2 with a run scored, as Albany defeated Sacred Heart, 10-0, on Friday, March 21 at UMBC Softball Stadium. The game, which is part of the UMBC Spring Classic, ended after five innings due to the eight-run rule. Lindgren, who struck out four and faced one batter over the minimum, became the first Albany pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Sarah Maida accomplished the feat on April 19, 2001 in a 9-0 blanking of St. Rose. Albany (9-2) jumped in front early, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first. After Megan Craft walked to load the bases, Maegan Larsen singled home Julie Gannon and Ashley Rios to give the Great Danes a 4-0 lead. Albany added two more runs on a Stacy Kowal, who went 3-for-3 with three RBI, double and a Jen Nolette sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the fourth, the Great Danes increased their lead to 10-0, as Kowal doubled to left field to drive in both Larsen and Jess Kostenblatt. Albany’s second game of the day against Maryland-Baltimore County was halted after four innings due to darkness. That game will be completed tomorrow morning, before the Great Danes take on Drexel at 8:00 a.m.
SOFTBALL FINISHES SPRING TRIP WITH A SWEEP OF DOUBLEHEADER Kissimmee, Fla. – Andrea Lindgren went 2-for-3 and delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth to propel Albany to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon at Osceola Complex. The Great Danes, who blanked Gardner-Webb, 5-0, in the first game of the day, finished their spring trip with a record of 8-2. Albany trailed 4-1 after three innings, as the Pioneers plated all four of their runs in the third on a series of passed balls. The Great Danes tallied a run in the fifth on an RBI-single by Julie Gannon to cut the lead to 4-2. After an RBI-double by Jen Nolette to drive in Megan Craft (South Glens Falls), Lindgren knocked a double to the gap off Lauren Lapinski, who entered the game in the sixth, to plate Jess Kostenblatt and Nolette and give Albany its first lead of the game at 5-4. Kristin Couris pitched a complete game to earn her third win of the season. Against Gardner-Webb, Gannon singled home Katrina Dunning in the top of the third to score Albany’s first run, and Danielle Buyea and Lindgren combined on a four-hit shutout. Stacy Kowal went 2-for-2 and drove home Maegan Larsen in the fourth to extend the Great Danes’ lead to 4-0. Albany is now off until March 21 when they travel to Baltimore, Md. for the UMBC Spring Classic.
SOFTBALL SPLITS A PAIR OF GAMES DURING DAY FOUR OF REBEL SPRING GAMES Kissimmee, Fla. – Jess Kostenblatt had a two-run single in the sixth to propel Albany past Holy Cross, 6-4, on Friday afternoon at Osceola Complex. The Great Danes, who lost their second game of the day to Loyola-Chicago, 3-2, will wrap up their 10-game Florida swing on Saturday against Gardner-Webb and Sacred Heart. Albany (6-2) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a single by Julie Gannon and Maegan Larsen’s walk, which forced home Kostenblatt. Jen Nolette (Columbia) scored her first of two runs in the second on a single by Liz Wieboldt. After the Crusaders closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, the Great Danes answered with three tallies in the sixth. Kostenblatt plated both Katrina Dunning and Brittany Burnham with a single to extend Albany’s lead to 6-2. Danielle Buyea pitched five innings for her second win and Kristin Couris closed out the game to earn her first save of the year. In the second game, Loyola-Chicago’s Susan Scott homered to tie the game at 2 apiece and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, as the Ramblers came from behind. The Great Danes’ two runs came off the bat of Megan Craft (South Glens Falls), who singled home Kostenblatt in the second and Larsen in the fourth. Andrea Lindgren suffered the loss despite allowing three runs on three hits.
SOFTBALL RALLIES AGAIN TO DEFEAT SACRED HEART IN EXTRA INNINGS, 6-4 Kissimmee, Fla. – Maegan Larsen scored the go-ahead run with a single in the ninth to lead Albany to a 6-4 extra-inning victory over Sacred Heart at Osceola Complex. The Great Danes continue their 10-game Florida swing on Friday against Holy Cross and Loyola (Ill.) Albany (5-1) took a 4-3 lead in the eighth, when infielder Katrina Dunning singled to right field to score Jen Nolette (Columbia). Sacred Heart (1-5) tied the contest in the bottom of the inning on Leslie Konsig’s RBI single. Larsen, a freshman shortstop who recorded her second game-winning hit of the season, lined a run-scoring single in the ninth to give her team the lead. She later came across for insurance on Ashley Rios’ double against the fence in right field. Starting pitcher Andrea Lindgren, who went all the way on the mound, improved to 2-1 with eight strikeouts. The Pioneers held a 3-1 lead in the second after Jen Place delivered a RBI single and Melissa McManaman and Konsig scored on passed balls. Albany drew even at three apiece in the fifth, when catcher Stacy Kowal tripled into the left-field gap.
SOFTBALL COMES FROM BEHIND TO BEAT GARDNER-WEBB, 7-6, IN FLORIDA Kissimmee, Fla. – Maegan Larsen delivered a two-run double in the fifth inning, as Albany rallied for a 7-6 victory over Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, March 5 at Osceola Complex. The Great Danes meet Sacred Heart this evening as their 10-game Florida trip continues. Albany (4-1) trailed 6-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but took the lead with a four-run frame. Ashley Rios was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, before Liz Wieboldt walked to score another run. Larsen, a freshman shortstop, then plated the tying and winning runs with a double into the right-field gap. Gardner-Webb (8-14) scored five times in the second, as outfielder Stephanie Shrum cleared the bases with a triple to left field to key the uprising. The Great Danes closed the gap with three runs in the same inning. Megan Craft and Stacy Kowal each had RBI singles. Right-hander Kristin Couris, who shut down the Bulldogs’ attack in the sixth and seventh, picked up her second victory by scattering four hits. Jen Nolette went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Larsen finished with a pair of hits.
SOFTBALL SPLITS A PAIR OF GAMES ON DAY TWO OF THE REBEL SPRING GAMES Kissimmee, Fla. – Maegan Larsen went 2-for-3 and scored the game-winning run, as Albany came from behind to defeat LaSalle, 2-1, on Monday, March 3 at the Rebel Spring Games. Albany (3-1) trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the fourth before loading the bases with one out. Brittany Burnham would plate the Great Danes’ only run of the inning when she grounded out to second. The Great Danes would take the lead in bottom of the sixth after Larsen singled to open the stanza. She advanced to second on a ground out to third by Stacy Kowal. On a delayed steal, she swiped third and then raced home on an error by the second baseman. Danielle Buyea pitched a complete game to pick up her first win of the year. She scattered five hits, struck out four and allowed one unearned run. In the second game, Valparaiso’s Laurie Grabiak led off the Crusader’s portion of the first with a single and then came around to score on Andrea Lindgren’s wild pitch for a 1-0 lead. Albany, which was held to four hits, mounted a rally in the sixth with runners on first and second and one out, but Ali Meacham popped out to second and Ashley Rios hit into a fielder’s choice to quell the uprising. Amanda Gilberton went the distance for the Crusaders, who were playing in their first game of the season, to collect the victory. Lindgren allowed only three hits in suffering her first loss of the season.
SOFTBALL PICKS UP FIRST TWO WINS OF THE SEASON AT REBEL CLASSIC Kissimmee, Fla. – Freshman Ali Meacham’s two-run double to the fence in the bottom of the first provided Albany all the runs they would need in a 2-0 win over Bethune-Cookman on Sunday morning at the Rebel Classic in Kissimmee, Fla. Albany (2-0) had runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the first when Andrea Lindgren grounded into a fielder’s choice forcing Katrina Dunning out at third. Meacham, who was making her first career start, then connected on a two-bagger to the wall bringing home both Liz Wieboldt and Lindgren for a 2-0 advantage. Kristin Couris and Lindgren combined on the 1-hit shutout of the Wildcats, who fell to 10-12 on the season. Earlier in the day, freshman Julie Gannon had two hits, including a two-run double in the fourth inning to give Albany a 7-3, came-from-behind victory over Holy Cross. Albany (1-0) trailed the Crusaders 3-1 as the Great Danes came to bat in the top half of the fourth. Megan Craft cut the margin to one when she singled home Liz Wieboldt, who scored twice. Gannon then gave UAlbany the lead for good with her shot to the fence that scored Andrea Lindgren and Craft. The Great Danes added two insurance runs in the sixth as Jen Nolette, who tripled to start the inning, raced across home after Katrina Dunning’s attempt at a suicide squeeze was overthrown by Holy Cross (0-1) pitcher Michelle Greene. Dunning then scored on Ashley Rios’ single to give UAlbany a 6-3 lead. Lindgren, who was making her first career start for Albany, went seven innings, allowing three hits and three runs, while striking out four to earn the victory.
SOFTBALL VOTED SIXTH IN AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON RANKINGS Boston, Mass. – The University at Albany has been voted sixth in the America East Conference softball preseason poll, as announced on Friday, Feb. 28 by the conference office. Defending America East champion Boston U. was chosen to repeat its title by the head coaches, while Maine and Stony Brook tied for second. The Great Danes went 30-20 and placed fourth with a conference record of 12-12 last year under head coach Chris Cannata. Six starters and two pitchers return from the squad that lost in the semifinals of the America East Conference Tournament. Junior Megan Craft, a second team all-conference selection last season, was one of two Great Danes to earn all-league recognition a year ago. Craft led the team with 23 RBI and was second with six doubles, as she was a fixture in every lineup during the 2002 season. Also returning for the Great Danes is sophomore pitcher Kristin Couris, who was second on the team with a 2.20 ERA. She also pitched nine complete games, including four shutouts. Senior tri-captain Stacy Kowal will again be a fixture behind the plate. Last year she threw out nine of a possible 21 base-stealers. Liz Wieboldt, Jess Kostenblatt and Jen Nolette, the team’s best returning hitters, will all be looking to ignite the Albany offense. Among the newcomers for Albany are: left-handed pitcher Andrea Lindgren, who transferred from Fullerton C.C. in California and went 20-2 with a 0.65 ERA for the Hornets last season, freshman Katrina Dunning, a three-time all-state infielder from Horseheads, N.Y., freshman Maegan Larsen, a second team all-state infielder from Carteret, N.J., and freshman Alison Meacham, an all-state catcher from Monroe, N.Y. The top four teams in the conference advance to the America East Championship, May 8-10 at University Field in Stony Brook, N.Y., with the winner receiving an automatic NCAA berth. Albany begins its 2003 season on Sunday, March 2 with a 10-game Florida trip. America East Conference Softball Preseason Poll 1. Boston U. (7) 49, 2. Maine 32, 2. Stony Brook 32, 4. Hartford 27, 5. Binghamton 25, 6. Albany 21, 7. Vermont 10.
SOFTBALL ELIMINATED IN LOSER'S BRACKET AT AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT Burlington, Vt. – Andi Miller threw a one-hit shutout to lead Hartford to a 2-0 win over Albany in a loser’s bracket elimination game at the America East Conference Softball Tournament on Friday, May 10 at Vermont’s Post Field. Hartford, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, will meet top seed Boston University for the championship and NCAA berth on Saturday at 12 noon. Miller, a senior, recorded 12 strikeouts and two walks in improving to 10-6 on the mound. She allowed just a two-out single by Jess Kostenblatt in the fourth inning. Hartford (24-14-1) scored twice in the fifth to break up a scoreless deadlock. Second baseman Mallory Rapoza delivered a RBI single to left field. Liz Nadeau scored another run with an infield hit. Albany eliminated Maine in loser’s bracket play earlier in the day with a 4-0 victory. Senior right-hander Sarah Maida posted her 18th victory by blanking the Black Bears on three hits. She struck out four and walked two en route to her seventh shutout of the season. Center fielder Jen Nolette plated Stacy Kowal with a single to left field in the second inning. The Great Danes added three runs in the third. Liz Wieboldt lined a RBI triple into the left-field gap. Second baseman Megan Craft added a run-scoring single, and then later stole home. Albany, the No. 4 seed, finished with a 30-20 record, while third seed Maine completed its schedule at 26-31 overall. ******************** America East Conference Softball Tournament (Post Field, Burlington, Vt.) Thursday, May 9 Game 1 – Boston U. 3, Albany 0 Game 2 – Hartford 1, Maine 0 Friday, May 10 Game 3 – Boston U. 3, Hartford 2 Game 4 – Albany 4, Maine 0 (Maine eliminated) Game 5 – Hartford 2, Albany 0 (Albany eliminated) Saturday, May 11 Game 6 – Boston U. vs. Hartford, 12 noon Game 7 – same teams (if necessary)
SOFTBALL LOSES TO TOP SEED IN AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT'S OPENING ROUND Burlington, Vt. – Robyn Horrick pitched her first career no-hitter to lead top seed Boston University to a 3-0 victory over Albany in the opening round of the America East Softball Championship on Thursday, May 9 at Vermont's Post Field. Horrick, a junior, pitched to one over the minimum to register her sixth shutout of the season. She struck out 10 batters, and allowed just a two-out walk to Lynnette Bohannon in the second inning. Horrick, the America East Pitcher of the Year, improved to 12-6 on the mound, and recorded the first no-hitter in conference tournament play since Delaware’s Kristen O’Connell accomplished that feat in 2000. Boston U. (26-21) scored in the third inning, when Jamie Haas beat out an infield single and later came across on a ground out. The Terriers, who won the America East regular-season title, added two runs in the fifth. Aryn Rangel and DeKenya Williams each delivered two-out, run-scoring singles. Albany’s Kristin Couris allowed one earned run in six innings of work. She totaled four strikeouts and two walks. The Great Danes, who fall to 29-19 overall, will play in Friday’s loser’s bracket against Maine at 1:30 p.m. The Black Bears dropped a 1-0 decision to Hartford in first-round action.
SOFTBALL'S TERRY & CRAFT NAMED TO AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM Boston, Mass. – University at Albany’s Valerie Terry and Megan Craft have been chosen All-America East Conference in softball, as announced on Wednesday, May 8 by the conference office. Terry and Craft were voted to the second team by the league’s head coaches. Terry, a senior shortstop, is among the America East leaders in six offensive categories. She ranks sixth nationally in stolen bases at 0.74 per game and has 35 on the season. Terry is batting .318 in UAlbany’s leadoff spot with 11 multi-hit games. She also has 29 runs, 10 extra-base hits, 47 total hits and a .377 on-base percentage. Terry, a .352 career hitter, is the school’s all-time leader in five categories, including total hits (197), stolen bases (129), runs (148), doubles (23) and triples (16). Craft, a sophomore, started all 47 games at second base after transferring from Adirondack Community College. She posted a .217 batting average, and is tied for fifth among the conference leaders with 22 RBI. Craft adds six doubles, 16 runs and a .966 fielding percentage. Albany (29-18) begins play at the America East Conference Tournament on Thursday at 12 noon against top seed Boston University. The Great Danes are the fourth seed in the NCAA-qualifying championship.
SOFTBALL SEEDED FOURTH FOR AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP ON MAY 9-11 Boston, Mass. – UAlbany will be the fourth seed for this week’s America East Conference Softball Championship. The double-elimination tournament will be held on May 9-11 at the University of Vermont’s Post Field in Burlington, Vt. The conference champion receives an automatic berth in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field. The Great Danes, who finished the regular season with a 29-18 record, and placed fourth in the conference standings at 12-12, will take on the top seed Boston University (25-21, AE 19-3) in the opening round on Thursday at 12 noon. Hartford, the second seed, meets No. 3 Maine at 2:30 p.m. Senior shortstop Valerie Terry ranks third among the America East Conference leaders in hitting with a .318 batting average. She leads UAlbany in runs (29), extra-base hits (10) and stolen bases (35). Senior right-hander Sarah Maida is the UAlbany pitching staff’s ace. She has a 17-8 record with a 1.12 earned run average, six shutouts and 122 strikeouts. ********************* America East Conference Softball Tournament Schedule (Post Field, Burlington, Vt.) Thursday, May 9 Game 1 – No. 1 Boston U. (25-21) vs. No. 4 Albany (29-18), 12 noon Game 2 – No. 2 Hartford (22-13-1) vs. No. 3 Maine (26-29), 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 10 Game 3 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11:00 a.m. Game 4 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1:30 p.m. Game 5 – Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 4:00 p.m. Saturday, May 11 Game 6 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 12 noon Game 7 – (same teams if necessary).
SOFTBALL SPLITS CONFERENCE TWINBILL AT HARTFORD TO END REGULAR SEASON West Hartford, Conn. – Sophomore Kristin Couris fired a two-hit shutout in the opener, as Albany split an America East Conference doubleheader with Hartford on Sunday, May 5 at Al-Marzook Athletic Fields. The Great Danes, who qualified for next weekend’s America East Tournament with the victory, won the first game, 2-0, but dropped the nightcap, 1-0. Couris, a right-hander, posted her fourth shutout of the season with one strikeout and two walks, and upped her record to 7-9 overall. She worked out of trouble in the first inning after allowing Mallory Rapoza’s one-out triple, and gave up a leadoff single by Liz Nadeau in the seventh. Albany (29-18, AE 12-12) broke up a scoreless deadlock in the sixth. Freshman Brittany Burnham led off with a walk, moved to third on a fielding error, and then scored on Jess Kostenblatt’s fielder’s choice. Catcher Stacy Kowal added her team’s second run with a sacrifice fly to left field. Hartford’s Andi Miller blanked the Great Danes on three hits in the second contest with a seven-strikeout, two-walk performance. The Hawks, who improved to 22-13-1 overall and 13-9 in conference play, scored the game’s lone run in the sixth. Center fielder Bryn Weller singled to right field to start the inning, and later came across on Monica Evrard’s sacrifice fly.
SOFTBALL LOSES NON-CONFERENCE GAME IN LATE INNINGS, 2-1 Staten Island, N.Y.—Designated player Kim Bruckner drove in the winning run with a single to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead Wagner to a 2-1 come-from-behind non-conference victory over Albany on Tuesday, April 30 at ASA Complex. The second game of the doubleheader was cancelled due to rain. Wagner (23-34) scored runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to erase a 1-0 deficit. Sophomore center fielder Marie Bianca singled to left leading off the sixth, and advanced to third on a passed ball and a ground out. Bruckner’s single put the Seahawks ahead for good. Albany (28-15) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as leadoff hitter Valerie Terry singled to center field. Terry, who stole second and third, came across on an error by Wagner catcher Jessica Van Manen. The Seahawks tied the contest in the fifth inning when Lynn Shortway’s single to left field scored Natalie Stollmeyer, who had reached on an error. Sophomore Bridgette Colleran pitched a perfect seventh to close out the complete-game victory. Albany senior Sarah Maida struck out six, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings, as she dropped to 17-6 on the season.
SOFTBALL SWEEPS AS CANNATA RECORDS 200TH CAREER COACHING VICTORY Albany, N.Y. – Left fielder Lynnette Bohannon drove in four runs to lead Albany to a non-conference doubleheader sweep over Rensselaer on Saturday, April 27 at Albany Field. The Great Danes, playing their last home games of the season, won the twinbill, 6-1 and 5-1. In the first game, Albany (28-14) snapped a 1-1 deadlock with a five-run fifth inning. Shortstop Valerie Terry singled and later scored on a fielder’s choice RBI by Megan Craft. Bohannon followed with a triple into the right-field gap that cleared the bases. Senior right-hander Sarah Maida allowed three hits and struck out eight, as she improved to 17-5 on the mound. The Great Danes jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap. Third baseman Jess Kostenblatt lined a two-run single to center field, before Craft scored another run with a ground out. Freshman Danielle Buyea scattered four hits, struck out six and walked one in running her record to 3-0. Liz Vitaliano and Marissa Crisfasi each had two hits on the day for Rensselaer (19-14). Albany coach Chris Cannata picked up her 200th career victory at the school in the opener, and has a 201-110 record in her eighth season. Second baseman Liz Wieboldt totaled four hits and three runs in the two games.
SARAH MAIDA LEADS SOFTBALL TO AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE SWEEP Burlington, Vt. – Sarah Maida fired a two-hit shutout in the opener and won the second game in relief to lead Albany to a America East Conference doubleheader sweep over Vermont on Wednesday, April 24 at Archie Post Field. The Great Danes won the twinbill, 5-0 and 8-6 in 10 innings. Maida, a senior right-hander, struck out six in recording her sixth shutout of the season. She allowed a pair of singles by shortstop Jaime Dawson. Albany (26-14, AE 11-9) scored twice in its first at-bat, as Liz Wieboldt, who had five hits on the day, delivered a RBI triple and later came across on Megan Craft’s ground out. In the nightcap, Vermont (5-29, AE 3-13) used a five-run fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead. Catcher Melissa Gyles cleared the bases with a double to highlight the uprising. The Great Danes sent the game to extra innings with a three-run seventh. Debbie Hodge and Valerie Terry provided RBI singles, before pinch-runner Jenni Barros scored on a fielding error. Albany broke a 6-6 deadlock in the tenth, as Barros’ bunt single pushed across Jess Kostenblatt, who led off with a walk. Lynnette Bohannon, who had three hits in the contest, singled and scored on a wild pitch. Maida, who picked up her 40th and 41st career victories as a collegian, threw two innings of scoreless relief to improve to 16-5 on the mound.
SOFTBALL SPLITS WEEKEND SERIES WITH AMERICA EAST-RIVAL MAINE Albany, N.Y. – Freshman Jennifer Merchant fired a two-hit shutout in the nightcap, as Maine swept an America East Conference doubleheader from Albany on Sunday, April 21 at Albany Field. The Black Bears won the two-game set, 3-2 and 2-0. Merchant struck three and walked two to improve to 13-10 on the season. She allowed a single in the fifth by Stacy Kowal and single by Valerie Terry in the sixth. Shortstop Erica Sobel led off the second with a walk and later scored on a fielding error. Maine (19-25, AE 7-7) added an insurance run in the seventh on Melissa Mather’s single to right field. In the opener, the Black Bears built a 3-1 lead in the late innings. Nicole Taylor tied the contest at one apiece in the fourth with a run-scoring single, before Aliesha Rautenberg’s RBI single in fifth gave her club the lead. Albany (24-14, AE 9-9) closed within 3-2 in the sixth as Jessica Kostenblatt singled home Megan Craft, who had reached on a fielding error. The Great Danes had the potential tying and winning runs aboard in the same frame, but Jen Nolette popped out and Debbie Hodge flied out to center field to end the rally. On Saturday, April 20, Valerie Terry had the game-winning hit in both games as Albany swept an America East Conference doubleheader from Maine at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the first contest, 2-1 in eight innings and the second, 2-1 in 10 innings. In the opener, Terry tripled over center fielder Jessica Brady’s head to score Brittany Burnham with no outs in the eighth inning. Burhnam walked to leadoff the frame. Jessica Kostenblatt’s RBI double had tied the game in the first. Sophomore right-hander Kristin Couris allowed six hits and one unearned run in the complete-game effort. She struck out five and walked one to improve to 6-7 on the season. Albany took a 1-0 lead in the nightcap, as Lynnette Bohannon delivered a run-scoring single in the fourth. Maine drew even in the sixth, when Aliesha Rautenberg led off with a triple and later scored on a single by Leigh Ann Hlywak. In the tenth, Burnham walked with one out. Terry, who had four hits on the day, followed with her seventh double of the season into the right-field gap. Sarah Maida upped her record to 14-4 on the mound by limiting the Black Bears to four hits and registering five strikeouts.
SOFTBALL SPLITS AMERICA CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER WITH VERMONT Albany, N.Y. – Kristin Couris fired a two-hit shutout in the nightcap, as Albany earned a split with Vermont in an America East Conference doubleheader on Wednesday, April 17 at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the second game, 4-0, but dropped the opener, 3-1. Couris, a sophomore right-hander, struck out six and allowed no walks in recording her third shutout of the season. She improved to 5-7 on the mound by allowing singles in the first and seventh innings. Second baseman Megan Craft singled in a pair of runs in the first. Albany (22-12, AE 7-7) scored two unearned runs in the fourth. Vermont (4-22, AE 2-8) won the first game behind the strong pitching of Angie Totaro, as she scattered five hits and registered five strikeouts. Megan Long drove in all three runs with a pair of doubles. She lined a two-bagger into the left-field gap in the fifth to break up a scoreless deadlock. Senior shortstop Valerie Terry had two hits and two stolen bases for the Great Danes, who host Maine in a conference weekend series on April 20-21.
SOFTBALL SPLITS NON-CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER AT ARMY West Point, N.Y. – Sarah Maida scattered seven hits en route to her fifth shutout of the season, as Albany split a non-conference doubleheader with Army on Tuesday, April 16 at Buffalo Solider Field. The Great Danes won the nightcap, 2-0, but lost the first game, 4-3 in nine innings. Maida, a senior right-hander, upped her record to 13-3 this spring, as she struck out four and walked none. She recorded the 12th shutout of her career. Albany (21-11) scored twice in the first inning. Jess Kostenblatt’s squeeze bunt scored Liz Wieboldt, who had singled with one out. Megan Craft doubled and came across on a fielding error. In the first contest, Army outfielder Nicki Robbins broke a 3-3 deadlock in the ninth inning with a RBI single up the middle. The Great Danes took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Kostenblatt and Jen Nolette each scored a pair of unearned runs. Albany’s Brittany Burnham had two hits in the opener, while Wieboldt added a RBI double in the third. The Black Knights, who share first place in the Patriot League standings, are 22-13-1 overall.
SOFTBALL LOSES THREE OF FOUR IN WEEKEND SERIES WITH BOSTON UNIVERSITY Albany, N.Y. – Freshman Julie Henneke fired a two-hit shutout in the opener to lead Boston University to an America East Conference doubleheader sweep over Albany on Sunday, April 14 at Albany Field. The Terriers won the twinbill, 2-0 and 4-2. In the second game, Albany (20-10, AE 6-6) tied the contest at two apiece in the third inning. Megan Craft lined a two-run single to center field. Boston U. (16-19, AE 10-2) came back in the fourth, as Robyn Horrick singled up the middle and later scored on a fielding error. The Terriers added an insurance run in the seventh, as Tiffany Finateri, who had five hits on the day, delivered a RBI single.Horrick, a junior right-hander, allowed just two hits and struck out eleven en route to her seventh win of the spring. Shortstop Jamie Haas, who went 6-for-8 at the plate in the twinbill, tripled and singled. Henneke posted her third shutout of the season in the opener, as she recorded 10 strikeouts and one walk to improve to 5-3 on the mound. Finateri doubled into the left-field gap to break a scoreless deadlock in the sixth. Henneke’s RBI ground out in the seventh added another run. On Saturday, April 13, Sarah Maida scattered six hits in the nightcap to post her 12th victory of the season, as Albany split a conference doubleheader with Boston U. at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the second game, 5-3, but lost the opener, 7-0. Boston U. took a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning, when first baseman Aryn Rangel lined a two-run single through the left side. Albany rallied by scoring five times in the bottom of the frame. Debbie Hodge keyed the uprising when she plated two runners with a single. Brittany Burnham and Valerie Terry tied the contest with a pair of unearned runs, as their club took advantage of four fielding errors. Maida, a senior right-hander who has a 1.16 earned run average, improved to 12-2 on the mound, plus recorded her eighth complete-game effort. In the first game, Robyn Horrick and DeKenya Williams combined on a one-hit shutout. Horrick, who upped her record to 6-5, worked the first five innings, and registered four strikeouts. The Terriers scored three times in the third, as Julie Henneke scored two runs with a single to center field. Tiffany Finateri added a two-run homer, her second of the year, over the left-field fence in the fifth.
SOFTBALL SWEEPS NON-CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER WITH NIAGARA Albany, N.Y. – Shortstop Valerie Terry totaled five hits, two runs, three stolen bases and two RBI on the day, as Albany swept a non-conference doubleheader from Niagara on Wednesday, April 10 at Albany Field. The Great Danes won the twinbill, 7-0 and 4-2. In the nightcap, Terry singled up the middle to score Brittany Burnham for a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Niagara (3-13) tied the contest in the fourth, as Krissy Costanzo belted a run-scoring triple to left field. Albany (19-7) went back in front, 3-2, in the fourth, when Debbie Hodge singled home Jen Nolette, who had reached base on a throwing error. Terry, who raised her batting average to .367 on the season, led off the fifth with a bunt single, and came around to add an insurance run on Liz Weiboldt’s single to right field. In the first game, pitchers Sarah Maida and Danielle Buyea combined on a two-hit shutout. Maida, who worked the first five innings, struck out five and walked two, as she upped her record to 11-2. Terry, who had three hits in the opener, had a RBI single in the second. She gave her club a commanding 5-0 lead, when she double down the left-field line and later scored in fourth. The Great Danes have won 12 of their last 15 games.
SOFTBALL EARNS SPLIT IN AMERICA EAST DOUBLEHEADER WITH BINGHAMTON Albany, N.Y. – Sarah Maida fired a three-hit shutout in the opener, as Albany split an America East Conference doubleheader with Binghamton on Monday, April 8 at Albany Field. The Great Danes, who have won 10 of their last 13 games, took the first game, 1-0, but lost the nightcap, 8-0. Maida, a senior right-hander, blanked her fourth opponent this season by registering five strikeouts and one walk. She improved to 10-2 on the mound, and posted her 35th career win as a collegian. Albany (17-7, AE 5-3) scored the game’s lone run in the second, when second baseman Megan Craft led off with an infield single and later came across on a throwing error. In the second contest, Binghamton’s Mary Karen Wheat returned the favor by blanking the Great Danes on three hits. Wheat struck out nine as she upped her record to 7-6 on the season. Jessica Chellis had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and two RBI. Jennifer Richardson lined a two-run double in the sixth, as the Bearcats scored four times in the frame. Albany’s Valerie Terry, a senior shortstop, had two hits on the day, and recorded her 17th stolen base of the spring. Binghamton improves to 15-12 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
SOFTBALL SPLITS AMERICA EAST DOUBLEHEADER WITH BINGHAMTON Albany, N.Y. – Lynnette Bohannon singled twice and drove in three runs in the nightcap, as Albany earned a split in an America East Conference doubleheader with Binghamton on Sunday, April 7 at Varsity Field. The Great Danes, who improved to 16-6 overall and 4-2 in the conference, won the second game, 10-0, but dropped the opener, 8-0. Shortstop Valerie Terry, who went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two stolen bases, singled and scored in the first inning. Bohannon lined a RBI single up the middle in the third, and plated two runners with a base-hit down the left-field line in her team’s six-run fourth. Meanwhile, right-hander Kristin Couris tossed a two-hit shutout in a game that was shortened to five innings due to an eight-run rule. Couris, a sophomore, upped her record to 4-3 on the mound. Stacy Kowal added a pair of singles and two RBI to UAlbany’s 11-hit attack. Binghamton (14-11, AE 2-4) won the first game behind the strong pitching of Margaret Yerdon, who recorded the shutout by scattering four hits and posting five strikeouts. Jennifer Chellis, who had three hits and four RBI, cleared the bases with a double into the right-field gap, as the Bearcats scored five times in third. The two teams play another America East doubleheader on Monday at 3:00 p.m.
SARAH MAIDA NAMED AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK Boston, Mass. – University at Albany’s Sarah Maida has been chosen as the America East Conference Pitcher of the Week in softball, as announced on April 3 by the conference office. Maida, a senior right-hander from Newburgh, N.Y., is one reason why the Great Danes are off to a 15-5 start, and are tied for second place in the conference standings with a 3-1 record. She has surrendered just two earned runs in her last 34.2 innings and registered three shutouts in that span. Maida leads the conference in victories with a 9-1 record, and is second with a 0.78 earned run average. Albany plays a home doubleheader against Syracuse on Thursday, April 4 at 3:00 p.m.
SOFTBALL SWEEPS NON-CONFERENCE TWINBILL WITH IONA Albany, N.Y. – Right-hander Sarah Maida scattered six hits in the opener, as Albany swept a non-conference doubleheader against Iona on Tuesday, April 2 at Albany Field. The Great Danes, who were playing their first home games of the season, won the twinbill, 2-1 and 4-1. Maida recorded six strikeouts and four walks in improving her record to 9-1 this season. She worked out of trouble in the seventh inning, when she struck out right fielder Alison Higgs, with the two runners aboard, to end the contest. Albany (15-5) tied the contest at one apiece in third on Liz Wieboldt’s RBI single. The Great Danes, who have won eight of their last nine starts, went ahead in the fifth, when Wieboldt doubled and later scored on an error. In the nightcap, sophomore Kristin Couris threw five innings of scoreless relief to up her record to 3-3 on the mound. Couris allowed one hit, a lead-off single in the fifth by Kate Giella. UAlbany’s Megan Craft drove in a pair of runs with a walk and infield single. Jen Nolette, a sophomore center fielder, collected two hits, including a RBI double in the third. Iona falls to 7-10 overall.
SOFTBALL TAKES THREE OF FOUR IN WEEKEND SERIES WITH STONY BROOK Stony Brook, N.Y. – Right fielder Liz Wieboldt singled twice, doubled, and scored three runs as Albany split an America East Conference doubleheader with Stony Brook on Saturday, March 30 at University Field. UAlbany (13-5, AE 3-1) won the nightcap, 6-5, but dropped the first game, 4-1. The Great Danes built a 6-0 lead in the second contest. Stacy Kowal lined a two-run double to center field, as her team scored three times in the third inning. In the fourth, shortstop Valerie Terry had a RBI double and Lynnette Bohannon added a sacrifice fly. Stony Brook (8-11, AE 1-3) closed to within, 6-5, with a three-run rally in the sixth. Cass Broadwater scored a pair of runners with a double into the left-field gap. Albany reliever Amy Hawk came on to register her first save of the season. She forced Stephanie DiBiase to end the sixth with a ground out, and then struck out Jane Stein for the final out in the seventh with the tying run aboard. In the opener, Stony Brook’s Stephanie Poetzsch scattered four hits en route to the complete-game victory. Poetzsch improved to 7-6 on the mound by recording eight strikeouts and one walk. Kristen Brust delivered her third home run of the season, a three-run blast over the center-field fence in the first inning. Albany’s Wieboldt broke up the shutout, when she singled and scored in the sixth.
SOFTBALL WINS AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE OPENER AT STONY BROOK Stony Brook, N.Y. – Sarah Maida tossed a complete game five-hit shutout and Lynnette Bohannon had the game-winning double in the ninth inning of the nightcap, as Albany swept a doubleheader against Stony Brook in the America East Conference opener for both schools on Friday, March 29 at University Field. The Great Danes won the first game, 3-2, and the second, 2-0 in nine innings. Albany (12-4, AE 2-0), winners of five straight, scored twice in the ninth of the second game to break a scoreless deadlock. Valerie Terry led off the frame with a walk. Liz Wieboldt’s sacrifice bunt advanced the runner. Bohannon then struck with a double down the left field line putting Albany on the scoreboard. Megan Craft added a RBI single over the shortstop for insurance. Stony Brook (7-10, AE 0-2) had an opportunity to tie the contest with runners on second and third and two outs. However, Maida, who earned her tenth career shutout, fanned Cass Broadwater to end the game. Terry, a senior shortstop, went 3-for-3 in the opener with two doubles and two runs scored and Amy Hawk pitched three innings of scoreless relief to earn her first win of the season. The Great Danes reversed a 2-1 deficit with two runs in the sixth inning. Terry led off the frame with her second double of the contest. She scored three batters later when Jess Kostenblatt’s squeeze attempt resulted in a throwing error to the plate by pitcher Stephanie Poetzsch. Wieboldt then crossed the plate with the eventual game-winning run as Craft hit a groundout to Poetzsch. Both teams play a conference doubleheader on Saturday (March 30) at 12 noon.
SOFTBALL SELECTED SIXTH IN AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE POLL Boston, Mass. – The America East Conference announced its preseason softball poll on Thursday, Mar. 28 and the University at Albany has been chosen to finish sixth in the seven-team conference. Boston University, who captured all seven first-place votes, was selected by the coaches to win the title. Head coach Chris Cannata enters her eighth campaign at the school, while totaling a 173-96 mark. Albany returns ten letterwinners from a squad that finished 22-25 last season. Senior shortstop Valerie Terry is a three-year starter, who hit a career-high .403 in 2001. She also ranked second nationally in stolen bases per game (1.09 pg, 49 total). Terry is the school’s career and single-season record holder for runs, steals and triples. Senior right-hander Sarah Maida will serve as the ace of the pitching staff. The Newburgh, N.Y. native posts a 25-19 record with a 2.33 earned run average over two seasons since transferring from the University of Bridgeport. Maida has started 42 career games and tossed over 285 innings. Senior left fielder Lynnette Bohannon started all 47 games in 2001. She led the squad in home runs with six, the highest total by an Albany player in eight seasons. The Colby Community College (Kan.) transfer and Pueblo, Colo., native also had a team-high 28 RBI and .535 slugging percentage. Sophomore infielder Megan Craft is one of several newcomers expected to contribute immediately. She will see action at three of the four infield positions and bat in the middle of the lineup. Craft, a transfer from Adirondack Community College, led her squad to the National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Championship and a fourth-place showing at the national tournament.
America East Conference Softball Preseason Poll 1. Boston University (7), 49; 2. Maine 38; 3. Stony Brook 29; 4. Hartford 28; 5. Vermont 20; 6. Albany 17; 7. Binghamton 15. ( ) – first-place votes.
SARAH MAIDA'S FIVE-HIT SHUTOUT LEADS TO SOFTBALL'S TENTH WIN Fort Myers, Fla. -- Senior right-hander Sarah Maida scattered five hits in recording her second shutout of the season, as Albany posted a 3-0 extra-inning victory over St. Francis, N.Y. on Sunday, March 17 at Lee County Sports Complex. The Great Danes, who wrapped up their eight-game Florida trip, improved to 10-4 overall. Maida, who has thrown 15 consecutive scoreless innings, registered seven strikeouts and no walks en route to her ninth career shutout. She worked out of a jam with a two outs and a runner on third base in the fourth, when infielder Jess Kostenblatt made a diving stop to end the inning. Maida, who has 31 career victories as a collegian, upped her record to 6-1 on the season. Albany (10-4) broke up a scoreless deadlock in the eighth. Third baseman Nicole Adisano’s throwing error led to two runs, before Jenni Barros delivered a RBI single. Shortstop Valerie Terry singled and doubled for the Great Danes.
SOFTBALL RECORDS NINTH WIN BEHIND KRISTIN COURIS' THREE-HIT SHUTOUT Cape Coral, Fla. – Sophomore right-hander Kristin Couris recorded her first victory of the season with a three-hit shutout to lead Albany to a 1-0 victory over St. Francis, N.Y. on Saturday, March 16 at Cape Coral Sports Complex. Couris, who registered seven strikeouts and no walks in posting the second shutout of her career, worked out of trouble in the fourth. She gave up a one-out triple to opposing pitcher Alex Richardson, but then struck out Samantha Griffin and Samantha Barchitta to wipe out the threat. Albany (9-4) tallied the game’s lone run in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore infielder Jess Kostenblatt led off with a single, and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Liz Wieboldt followed with a RBI single to right field. The Great Danes complete their eight-game Florida swing on Sunday against St. Francis.
BOHANNON LEADS SOFTBALL TO EIGHTH WIN IN SECOND GAME OF FRIDAY DOUBLEHEADER Cape Coral, Fla. – Lynette Bohannon hit a three-run triple to highlight an eight-run fourth inning, as Albany defeated St. Francis, N.Y., 8-0, on Friday at Cape Coral Sports Complex. The Great Danes dropped a 2-0 contest to St. Joseph’s, Pa. in the first game of the day. Albany (8-4) capitalized on a pick-off throwing error to third base with the bases loaded in the fourth inning of the nightcap. The erratic throw by the catcher went down the left-field line scoring three Great Danes. Later in the frame, Bohannon’s triple to center field cleared the bases as well. Sarah Maida recorded five strikeouts on the mound en route to her fifth victory. St. Joseph’s used single runs in the first and seventh innings to stay unbeaten at 9-0 overall. Kristin Nau singled and would later cross the plate on a wild pitch. The Hawks added an insurance run in the last frame as Desiree McGhie's single brought home Lindsey McNamera. Pitcher Dana Travis limited Albany to two hits, while striking out eight and walking one hitter.
SOFTBALL SPLITS TWO GAMES IN FLORIDA ON THURSDAY Fort Myers, Fla. – Jess Kostenblatt hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, as Albany rallied for a 4-3 victory over St. Francis, N.Y. on Thursday, March 14 at Lee County Sports Complex. The Great Danes dropped a 7-4 decision to St. Joseph’s, Pa. in their second game of the day. St. Francis, N.Y. took a 3-0 lead in the top of the sixth, when Alex Richardson lined a triple down the right-field line to score a pair of runners. Richardson came across on Samantha Barchitta’s sacrifice fly. Albany (7-3) countered with a four-run rally in the same frame. Lynnette Bohannon delivered a RBI single, before Kostenblatt belted her third home run of the season, a three-run shot over the left-field fence. Sarah Maida improved to 4-1 on the mound by recording eight strikeouts and one walk. St. Joseph’s scored five times in the first inning to stay unbeaten at 7-0 overall. Teresa Andreani keyed the uprising with a two-run single. Lindsey McNamara went 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs, and slugged a solo homer in the fifth. Albany’s Bohannon led her club with a RBI double in the third and her second home run of spring in the seventh. Megan Craft and Valerie Terry each had two hits.
SOFTBALL LOSES TWICE AGAINST ST. JOSEPH'S IN FLORIDA Coral Springs, Fla. – Brandie Adams and Dana Travis each fired a three-hit shutout, as St. Joseph’s, Pa. took a pair of games from Albany on Wednesday, March 13 at Cape Coral Sports Complex. The Hawks won the first game, 3-0, and the second contest, 4-0. St. Joseph’s (6-0) scored three times in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie in the first contest. Cara Deldeo and Alicia Cunic each delivered RBI singles, as the Hawks took advantage of three UAlbany fielding errors. Adams struck out three and walked two en route to the complete-game victory on the mound. In the second game, Travis recorded 10 strikeouts, as the St. Joseph’s pitching staff has blanked five of six opponents this season. Lindsey McNamara belted a three-run homer in the first inning to supply the offense. The Great Danes, who play in Florida for the next four days, fall to 6-2 overall.
SOFTBALL OFF TO FAST START WITH SWEEP OVER MARYLAND-EASTERN SHORE Princess Anne, Md. – Megan Craft had four hits and drove in six runs to lead visiting Albany to a non-conference doubleheader sweep over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Sunday, March 10. The Great Danes, who are off to a 6-0 start for the second time in the last three years, won the twinbill, 6-3 and 11-0. In the opener, Craft’s groundout scored Lynette Bohannon, who had walked, to break a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning. Albany added two insurance runs in the seventh on Craft’s RBI triple and a run-scoring single by outfielder Jen Nolette. Right-hander Sarah Maida, who picked up her third win of the season, won for the second straight day in relief. She allowed no hits over four innings, and recorded five strikeouts and one walk. Craft, a sophomore transfer from Adirondack Community College, and Nolette went to work again the second game. Craft drove in three runs with a pair of singles, while Nolette went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and one RBI. Bohannon added two hits and scored twice. Pitchers Danielle Buyea and Kristin Couris combined for six strikeouts in registering a four-hit shutout.
WOMEN'S SOFTBALL CAPTURES HAMPTON TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP Hampton, Va. – Freshman right-hander Danielle Buyea fired a three-hit shutout in leading Albany to a 8-0 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday, March 9 at the Hampton University Tournament. The Great Danes, who earlier in the day defeated Hampton, 3-2 in eight innings, won the tournament title. Buyea recorded nine strikeouts and no walks in her first start as a collegian. The grame was shortened to five innings due to an eight-run rule. Senior shortstop Valerie Terry singled, walked, scored two runs and added a stolen base. Terry and Jenni Barros each had RBI singles, as Albany (4-0) scored four times in the second inning to build a commanding 5-0 advantage. In the first game, the Great Danes took a 2-1 lead in the sixth, when Jess Kostenblatt, who had singled, scored on a throwing error. Hampton tied the contest a two apiece in the seventh, when Adrian Williams delivered a two-out, run-scoring single. Albany’s Brittany Burnham, a freshman, scored the winning run in the eighth on a wild pitch. Albany pitcher Sarah Maida picked up the victory in relief of starter Kristin Couris. Maida, a senior right-hander, struck out six and walked two in five innings on the mound.
WOMEN'S SOFTBALL WINS OPENING TWO GAMES AT HAMPTON TOURNAMENT Hampton, Va. - Senior right-hander Sarah Maida fired a four-hitter to lead Albany to a 9-1 victory over Central Connecticut State on Friday, March 8 at the Hampton University Tournament. Earlier in the day, the Great Danes opened their season with a 7-5 extra-inning win over St. Peter’s. Maida recorded nine strikeouts and three walks en route to her 26th career victory on the mound. Jess Kostenblatt had three hits, including two home runs, and three RBI to lead her team’s 10-hit attack. She belted a solo shot in the fourth, and added a two-run homer in the seventh. Adirondack Community College transfer Megan Craft singled and doubled with one run scored and one RBI. In the first game against St. Peter’s, Albany (2-0) used a four-run ninth inning to break a 3-3 deadlock. Freshman Brittany Burnham scored on a fielding error, before shortstop Valerie Terry came across on Liz Wieboldt’s single. Lynette Bohannon capped the uprising with a two-run blast over the right-field fence.
2002
Championship Information Seven America East member institutions-- University at Albany, Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont—will compete for the four championship berths. The seven teams will each play a 24-game regular-season conference schedule with a four-game series vs. each conference opponent. Hofstra University won each of the last four America East Softball Championships. Boston University won the inaugural America East Championship in 1992. The Terriers also won titles in 1993, 1996 and 1997. Maine won its only championship in 1994. 2002 America East Softball Championship Friday, May 10 Saturday, May 11
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