MAY 14, 2010
ITHACA, NY – Senior Lindsey Hoerner, pitching on an injured left leg, put on a gutty performance, tossing six innings and posting three base hits with six RBI as the King's College softball team built a 10-0 lead and held off a late rally to defeat Keuka College 12-9 in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III National Tournament Regional Championships Friday at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY.
With the win, King's improved to 23-17 while Keuka ended its season with a 23-10 mark. King's advances to a second –round elimination game Saturday at 12:00 noon when the Lady Monarchs face Lebanon Valley College, which lost its first game of the tournament to Ithaca on FRiday by a 3-1 margin. The loser of the King's-LVC game will be eliminated.
The King's-Polytechnic game will be available on LiveStats at:
King's started off the game with a double by Meaghan Galvin. Gretchen Tholen then reached base on a Keuka error as Galvin scored from second on the play. After a single off the bat of Kaitlin Siegfried, Lindsey Hoerner blasted a three-run home run far over the left field fence for a 4-0 Lady Monarch lead.
In the fifth, Annie Erndl led off with a single and moved to second on a Galvin sacrifice bunt. After Tholen single to center moved Erndl to third base, Hoerner drilled a single to left center, driving in both runners. Christie Parfitt then followed with a run-scoring double to give King's a 7-0 lead.
In the sixth, Tholen drew a walk to lead off the inning, followed by a single to center from Kaitlyn Siegfried. After Parfitt drew a one-out walk to load the bases, Katie Fry ripped a two-run single to give King's a 9-0 advantage. The lead grew when Parfitt scored from third on a wild pitch as the Lady Monarchs built a 10-0 advantage.
Keuka battled back in the bottom half of the sixth inning when Brittany Smyder registered a one-out single and Denise Bilbow followed with a base hit up the middle. Alyssa Wood then walked to load the bases for the Storm and Sara James drew another walk to force in Smyder from third for Keuka's first run of the game. Jessica Van Scoter followed with a three-run double down the right field line and Domino Usiak added a RBI double to bring the Storm back to within 10-6.
King's responded in the top of the seventh when Galvin led off with a base hit to left field and promptly stole second-base. After an infield out advanced Galvin to third-base, Siegfried drew a walk to give the Lady Monarchs runners at first and third. Hoerner then belted a RBI double to left field to push the score to 11-6. Parfitt would single to drive in Siegfried from third, but pinch runner Bobbi Maslowski was thrown at the plate attempting to score from second as King's lead grew to 12-6.
With Hoerner laboring from her leg injury, Erndl entered the game in the bottom of the seventh to pitch. Keuka attempted to rally when Smyder led off with a base hit and Bilbow followed with an infield single. Wood then delivered a RBI single to bring the Storm to within 12-7. Sarah James would ground into a field's choice to drive in a run and Sarah Frederick walked to give the Storm runners at first and second with one out. Van Scoter then drew a walk to load the bases for Keuka as the winning run came to the plate.
Terin Brown brought the Storm to within 12-9 with a sacrifice fly to right field for the second out of the inning. Erndl, though, would end the game when she struck out Usiak for the final out as King's held on for the victory.
Hoerner led King's offensively by going 3-for-5 with two runs, a home run, double, and six RBI. Parfitt was 3-for-4 with two RBI while Fry went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Galvin was 2-for-3 with two runs while Erndl finished 2-for-3 with one run.
Hoerner also picked up the win, pitching six innings and allowing six runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. She had allowed only one hit through five innings before her injured leg caught up with her in the sixth inning.
Smyder led Keuka by going 3-for-3 with two runs while Bilbow was 2-for-3 with two runs.
