SOFTBALL | April 15, 2008

South Hill squad runs winning streak to 12 games with sweep of Elmira

| Staff Writer

The No. 16 softball team continues to pile up wins, as they swept another Empire 8 foe in a doubleheader on Sunday. The Blue and Gold traveled to Elmira College and defeated the Soaring Eagles 6–0 in game one and 4–0 in game two.

The Bombers have now won 33 consecutive Empire 8 games, as well as 12 games overall in a row. Their record is 19–5 overall and 8–0 in the league.

The middle and bottom part of the lineup got the job done for the South Hill squad in game one in terms of hits, while the front half of the lineup drove in the runs. A large reason for that was the nine errors Elmira committed in the game.

Notable players for the Blue and Gold were senior pitcher and co-captain Nicole Cade and junior centerfielder Chelsey Feldman. Cade, who did not pitch in either of the two games, stepped up to bat as the designated hitter.

The senior went two-for-four, while scoring and driving in a run. Feldman went two-for-three, while scoring three of the Bombers’ six runs out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

Sophomore pitcher Brooke Kithcart got her third career win, pitching a complete game, while allowing only one hit, striking out 12 and walking only two.

The second game was a little bit closer, as the two teams were tied at zero through three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, the Bombers got on the board with a two-run home run by freshman catcher Kerry Barger, the first of her young career. She went two-for-three in the game, scoring two runs and driving in two.

Barger, who was named Empire 8 Player of the Week, was filling in for senior Stacy Pelesz at the catcher position, while Pelesz was playing shortstop for injured senior Erica Cutspec.

The Blue and Gold would score two more runs in the sixth, off of a two-run single by sophomore left fielder Alyssa Guzman. The single scored Barger and senior second baseman Jessica Stangarone.

Senior pitcher Carly Myers got the nod for the South Hill squad in game two. She, like Kithcart, went the whole way and struck out 12. She also gave up four hits and walked no batters.

Ithaca’s pitching staff has done a superb job over the last week, only allowing two runs in six games, while keeping the opposition scoreless in 31 consecutive innings.

The Bombers in are in action at 3 p.m. today in a doubleheader in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., against King’s College.


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