April 30, 2006

Lady Charger Softball Sweeps Holy Family University On Senior Day

Blauvelt, NY (4/30/06) The Dominican College softball team swept a crucial Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) double-header against Holy Family University this afternoon in Blauvelt, NY. With the two wins, the Lady Chargers earn the second seed in the upcoming CACC Tournament, while Holy Family, who needed to sweep the double-header, was eliminated from the tournament.

Lady Charger Softball Sweeps Holy Family University On Senior Day

Blauvelt, NY (4/30/06) The Dominican College softball team swept a crucial Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) double-header against Holy Family University this afternoon in Blauvelt, NY. With the two wins, the Lady Chargers earn the second seed in the upcoming CACC Tournament, while Holy Family, who needed to sweep the double-header, was eliminated from the tournament.

Game one was a thriller as both teams hit a combined total of five home runs, one being the game winner in the eighth inning. Holy Family University took a 1-0 lead as Tara Debes (Erial, NJ) walked to start the game, advanced to second on a passed ball and later scored on the RBI fielder's choice by Lauren Armstrong (Williamstown, NJ).

DC answered back with three runs in the bottom stanza as Kristine Knuth (Staten Island, NY) singled to start the inning and raced around to third on the double by senior Katie Farrugia (Cornwall, NY). Sarah Beck (Milton, NY), who's been on fire at the plate, hit a three run homer to left field to give the team a 3-1 lead.

The Tigers pulled within one in the fourth inning as Armstrong singled to center, followed by a double to right field by Jen Escheman (Deptford, NJ) to put runners on second and third. Rachael Mudry (Millville, NJ) ground out to the short stop which brought in Armstrong and cut the lead to 3-2. Holy Family took the lead in the fifth as Alison McBryar (Fairless Hills, PA) singled to center to lead off the inning, moved to second on the sac bunt by Jacklin Coates (Erial, NJ). After an infield single by Debes, both runners advanced on a wild pitch which tied the game at 4-3.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, senior Danielle Gornie (Shrub Oak, NY) led off the inning with a game tying solo home run to left field, her first collegiate homer, to tie the game at 4-4. In the eighth inning, the Tigers regained the lead as Escheman and Mudry hit back to back home runs to left center off reliever Krupna to go up 6-4.

In the DC half of the eighth, Beck hit a one out single to right field and moved to second on the walk to Christine Stathes (Cornwall, NY). After a fielder's choice out, Krupna got up and hit a three run blast centerfield to lift the Lady Chargers to a 7-6 victory.

Krupna picked up her 11^th win of the season, coming out of the bull pen for one inning, while Tiger starter Kim Joyce (Wilmington, DE) suffered the loss. DC starter Stathes scattered seven hits and strike out five in seven innings.

In the night cap, Dominican jumped on the board with three runs in the first inning as Knuth got a lead off walk, followed by a one out single to center by Beck. Stathes hit the day's sixth home run, sending a shot over the center field fence to put DC up 3-0.

The Lady Chargers added a run in the second as Jamie Ollari (Hopatcong, NJ) doubled to left to start the inning, stole third and scored on an a throwing error by the catcher to take a 4-0 lead.

Holy Family scored three runs in the third inning to make the score, 4-3 as Kim Hockenbrock (Eagleville, PA) hit a lead off double to right field, followed by a single to left by Debes to put runners at the corners. Victoria Grayson (Williamstown, NJ) hit an RBI single to right field as Hockenbrock came in to score and put the Tigers on the board. After a DC error which loaded the bases, Mudry came up big with a two run infield single.

DC put two more runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Melanie Hestermann (Lacey Township, NJ) got a lead off walk, followed by a one out single by Knuth. Farrugia received a free pass and Beck reached on a Holy Family error which allowed Hestermann to score. Stathes followed with a infield RBI single as the Lady Chargers went on for the 6-3 victory.

Lady Charger starter Michelle Bark (West Milford, NJ) improved to 12-5 on the year with win, going 6.1 innings and striking out seven batters. Stathes picked up her second save of the year, coming in the get the final two outs.

With the wins, Dominican improves to 35-15 on the year and 15-7 in the CACC, while Holy Family ends the year at 21-29-0 and 11-11 in the CACC. DC will have a first round bye in the upcoming CACC Tournament to be held May 4,5 and 6 at Caldwell College.

The aim of Dominican University New York is to promote educational excellence, leadership, and service in an environment characterized by respect for the individual and concern for the community and its needs. Founded by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, the university is an independent institution of higher learning, Catholic in origin and heritage. In the Dominican tradition, it fosters the active, shared pursuit of truth and embodies an ideal of education rooted in the values of reflective understanding and compassionate involvement. Committed to building its programs upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, the university maintains a student-centered climate and serves a diverse community of students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The university empowers this community of learners to excel, lead and serve with integrity and to engage responsibly in the pursuit of a more just, ethical and sustainable world. Dominican also sponsors 18 varsity intercollegiate sports that compete at the NCAA Division II level. To learn more about Dominican University New York, please visit www.duny.edu.