University of Albany Softball Advances to America East Tournament Final Round on Saturday

Albany, N.Y. – Leah McIntosh tossed her ninth shutout of the season, a one-hitter, as UAlbany advanced to the championship round of the America East Conference Tournament with a 4-0 victory over UMBC in an elimination game on Friday, May 9 at Albany Field. Stony Brook defeated the Great Danes, 7-2, in the winner’s bracket earlier in the day to make the final for the first time in the program’s history. The two teams will play for an automatic NCAA berth.
UAlbany (34-16) broke up a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a two-out rally. Nicole Kothe singled to right field, before Amber Maisonet bunted to reach base safely. After Andrianna Walraven fouled out to the third baseman, Michelle Connors worked a 1-2 count into a walk to load the bases. Meagan Butsch then ripped the first pitch she saw up the middle to drive in a pair of runs. Freshman Gina Mason followed with a two-run single, as she sent a 2-2 pitch to the left of the second-base bag and into centerfield.

McIntosh, who improved to 17-6 on the year, struck out seven and walked three in registering her 20th complete game. She worked out of a mild trouble in the third. Lynn Pronobis started the inning with an infield single and moved to third base after two sacrifices, but the sophomore hurler fanned Julia Culotta on an inside pitch with the count full. McIntosh, who struck out the side in the fourth and threw 90 pitches overall, had two runners aboard in the seventh, but ended the uprising when Pronobis popped out to end the game.

“I felt more pressure in the first game (against Stony Brook),” said McIntosh, whose team is the tournament’s top seed after winning the regular-season title. “I stepped it up (in the second game), but the catcher does all the work. She makes all the calls. The first five innings were hectic, but then we scored some runs. It is easier to pitch when you have more than a one- or two-run lead.”

In the first game of the day, Molly Kestranek had three hits, including her third home run of the season, in leading Stony Brook (32-21) to a 7-2 triumph. The Seawolves jumped on McIntosh with three runs over the first two innings. Marissa Fleury’s soft-liner over the shortstop’s right shoulder plated Vicki Kavitsky, who had reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second base. Kestranek drove a 1-2 pitch over the left-field fence to begin the second. Casey Jacobs, who followed in the order, would walk on five pitches and later score on Kavitsky’s sacrifice fly to right field.

The Seawolves, who upended second-seed Boston University, 3-0, in Thursday’s opening round, built a 6-0 lead after fourth innings against reliever Marissa Powell. In the third, Kestranek singled up the middle with two outs. She later came across on Kelly Oberto’s line drive over the second baseman’s head. Crista Cerrone knocked in another run by slapping an 0-2 pitch the other way over the shortstop’s glove. Kelsi Fanelli led off the fourth with her eighth homer of the year over the 210-sign in centerfield.

UAlbany broke through against Stony Brook’s Alyssa Struzenberg, the conference’s pitcher of the year, in the fifth. Maisonet, who went 3-for-4 at the plate in the first contest, singled and scored on Michelle Connors’ base hit to left field. Maisonet added a RBI double in the sixth.

Struzenberg, who improved to 23-8 overall and has beaten UAlbany twice this spring, scattered seven hits and struck out five in recording her 20th complete game. The sophomore right-hander has already established the school’s single-season record for pitching wins.

“We had a little better attitude going into the second game,” offered UAlbany coach Chris Cannata, whose squad is in the championship final for the fourth consecutive year. “Leah had more speed and movement and she had neither in the first game. It’s going to be tough to win twice tomorrow.”





Saturday, May 10

Game Six: UAlbany vs. stony brook 12 p.m.
Game Seven: (if necessary): UAlbany vs. stony brook 2:30 p.m.

More to Come...