UMW Softball Eliminates York, Frostburg State to Advance to CAC Championship

UMW Softball Eliminates York, Frostburg State to Advance to CAC Championship

The fifth seeded University of Mary Washington softball team eliminated fourth seeded York College and second seed Frostburg State by scores of 6-5 and 6-4 on Friday in Newport News, Va., in the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament. The Eagles improve to 24-19, and will face Christopher Newport University for the CAC Championship on Saturday.

In the win over York, UMW opened with two runs in the first. Caroline Callahan hit a triple and scored on a fielder's choice error that allowed Hannah Hautz to advance all the way to third base. Malia Rogers followed with an RBI single.

The Eagles lead was short lived, as York connected for a three-run homer. After York scored again in the second, the Eagles got a run back in the third, as Danielle Newman homered. York added another in the third, and the score stood at 5-3 until the seventh inning.

In the final frame, UMW plated three runs, Rogers walked to lead off and Newman followed with a double. After Brittnee Haynes walked to load the bases, Courtney Shea walked to plate one run, and Amy Sykes singled to add another. Hannah Bruns provided a sacrifice fly with the eventual winning run. Erin Stinson pitched around two hits in the seventh to gain the win.

Newman led the Eagles with three hits, while Bruns, Rogers, and Sykes each had two. Stinson  gained the win, allowing four hits and no runs in four innings of relief.

The Eagles came right back to face second seeded Frostburg State, and won a thrilling extra inning contest, 6-4.

Frostburg opened with two runs in the first, and held a 2-0 lead until the sixth. The Eagles took the lead, as Callahan and Hautz singled, and Haynes reached on an error to score one run. Kristen Lundquist followed with a two-run double to put the Eagles ahead.

Bruns porived an RBI single in the seventh to put UMW ahead, 4-2, but the Bobcats answered with two in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score and send the game to extra innings.

The Bobcats advanced a runner to second in the eighth but could not score, and the Eagles went ahead to stay in the ninth. Courtney Shea led off with a single, and moved to second on a sacrifice from Sykes. Bruns followed by reaching on an error to score Shea, and Bruns would score on a groundout from Callahan.

Deppe came on in relief to gain the win with two innings of one hit relief. Hautz had four hits and Callahan three for UMW.

The Eagles will face top seeded Christopher Newport in the finals. UMW will need to win twice to claim the title, while the Captains, undefeated in the tournament, need only win one. Game one starts at 10 a.m.