YORK, PA – The York College Spartan
softball team rode the shutout effort of freshman right-hander
Brittany Therres (Hughesville, Md./Thomas Stone)
as they defeated Stevenson University 6-0 in the opening round of
the Capital Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday afternoon in
York. The Spartans advance to the second round to face the
University of Mary Washington on Friday in Fredericksburg.
The Spartans improve to 25-10 overall with the win while the
Mustangs fall to 13-18.
The Mustangs looked like they were going to get to Therres in
the first inning as Stacey Rouse led off the game with a double to
left center. Therres got a sacrifice bunt for the first out before
coaxing Jessica Bandzwolek into a pop up to short. Therres then
struck out Michelle January swinging as the Spartan freshman
extricated herself from the jam.
The Spartan offense rewarded Therres with a big first inning.
Kelly Smith (Riverdale, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti)
singled to open the bottom of the first. Heather Bormann
(Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) sacrificed Smith to second
for the first out of the inning. Kristen Gray (Mickleton,
N.J./Kingsway Regional) stroked a single to second to move
Smith to third. Gray stole second and Sam Koehl (Frederick,
Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) walked to load the bases. After a
fielders choice erased Smith at the plate, Therres ripped a shot up
the middle, scoring Gray and Koehl, giving the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
York increased the lead in the second as Karen Carr
(Baltimore, Md./Lansdowne) led off the inning with a
beautifully executed bunt single. Freshman Meghan Van Meter
(Hanover, Md./Archbishop Spalding) ripped a double to deep
center, scoring Carr for the 3-0 Spartan lead. Smith singled to
left and stole second to put Spartans at second and third with no
outs. Bormann scored Van Meter with an RBI ground out as the York
lead grew to 4-0. Gray lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score
Smith as York led 5-0 through two innings.
The Mustangs threatened in the fifth as they got two runners on
base but Therres got a pair of groundouts to end the potential
uprising.
York tacked on an insurance run in the sixth. Van Meter ripped a
double down the right field line, moved to third on a Smith single
and scored when Bormann lifted a sacrifice fly to right.
Therres closed out the game with a hitless seventh as she
twirled her seventh shutout of the year. Therres scattered six hits
in her seven innings of work. She struck out three and walked two
as she improves to 12-6 for the year.
Julianne Roper absorbed the loss as she allowed six runs on 10
hits in six innings of work. She walked one and did not strikeout
any Spartans as she falls to 6-9 with the loss.
Smith powered the Spartan offense as she was 3-for-4 with a run
scored. Bormann added a hit with two RBI while Therres was 2-for-3
with a pair of RBI. Van Meter chipped in with two hits, two runs
scored, and an RBI. Both of Van Meter's hits were doubles as
she now has seven for the year.
Rouse had the Mustangs' only extra base hit with her first
inning double while the remainder of the Stevenson line up was
limited to five singles from five different players.
The Spartans head to Mary Washington on Friday for the
tournament's second round. The Spartans finished tied with
the Eagles in the regular season as both squads were 9-3 in league
play. The two squads split their doubleheader in Fredericksburg on
March 30. The Eagles won game one 3-1 before the Green and White
rebounded to take a 3-0 win in the nightcap. First pitch is set for
4:00 pm on Friday.
GAME BOX
