University of Albany Leah McIntosh's Third Straight Shutout Salvages Split of Big East Opponents for Softball - UAlbany Sports

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Tampa, Fla. – Leah McIntosh pitched her third straight shutout to lead the UAlbany softball team to a 2-0 victory over South Florida, last season’s Big East regular-season champion, on Saturday, Feb. 21 at South Florida’s The Game Tournament. Earlier in the day, Louisville, ranked 25th in the nation by USA Today/NFCA, hit five home runs to earn a 12-3 win over the Great Danes in five innings.

After McIntosh got out of the top of the first inning with two consecutive strikeouts, the Great Danes scored all the runs they would need in the bottom half of the opening frame. Andrianna Walraven singled up the middle and stole second to start things off. Walraven then advanced to third on a single by Kristine Bill, and made it home on the next play when Connors grounded out to short. Batting with two runners in scoring position and one out, Gina Mason singled down the left field line to plate Bill for the team’s second run.

South Florida (8-5), which was among the teams receiving votes in the national polls, made its biggest threat to get on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. JoJo Medina, an All-Big East second-team member last year, recorded the Bulls’ only hit of the afternoon when she singled through the left side to put two runners on for Cat Olnick. With a pair of runners in scoring position following a wild pitch, the cleanup hitter flied out to Nicole Kothe in left. McIntosh got out of her biggest jam of the day by fanning the last batter.

UAlbany’s McIntosh improved to a perfect 5-0 with her fourth shutout of the season. She has only given up one earned run in her five starts, dropping her earned run average to 0.26. The junior, who pitched a perfect game against Rhode Island yesterday, struck out nine batters to increase her total to 60 in 34 innings of work.

South Florida’s Cristi Ecks, who recorded only one out, surrendered four hits and two runs which were both earned to drop to 2-1 this season. She was relieved by Kristin Gordon, who only allowed one batter to reach base when Connors was hit by a pitch in the sixth.

In the first game, Louisville (11-1) took a quick 2-0 advantage in the opening frame when senior Kristi Cunningham blasted her fifth home run of the season over the right field fence. The Great Danes threatened in the top half of the second, but could not plate Meagan Butsch from third.

The Cardinals, whose only loss this season came to fifth-ranked Michigan, added three more runs in the bottom of the second. After Vanessa James tripled to right center with one runner on, Melissa Roth went yard to give Louisville a five-run lead.

UAlbany (6-5) staged a rally by putting three runs on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth. With Connors on first, Butsch reached on an error to put two runners on for Mason. The sophomore who was named to last season’s all-rookie team by America East then doubled to right center, plating Butsch and Connors. Bill, who recorded a career-high five RBI in yesterday’s win over Rhode Island, singled to second which brought Mason home for the Great Danes’ third run before Kat Smith grounded out to end the stanza.

Louisville extended its lead up to seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. After James sent her second triple down the right field line to plate Patrika Barlow, Roth hit her second home run of the morning to make it a five-run game. Cunningham then hit the Cardinals’ fourth ball over the fence to make it 10-3, and the contest ended in the bottom of the fifth due to the eight-run mercy rule when Roth hit her third home run of the morning.

Cardinal freshman Tori Collins earned the victory to improve to 4-0 this season. She finished the game with three strikeouts, no walks and was only charged with one earned run. Collins was relieved by junior Kristen Wadwell for 1.2 innings. An All-Big East second-team selection last season, she recorded a strikeout while only allowing one hit and one walk. UAlbany’s Marissa Powell dropped to 1-5 on the year with the loss. She surrendered 12 hits and 12 earned runs while walking two Cardinal hitters and fanning three in 4.1 innings before the game was called.

The Great Danes will close out tournament play tomorrow morning when they face Jacksonville State, last season’s Ohio Valley Conference champion, at 11 a.m.

-agate-

UAlbany 000 30 - 3 4 1

#25 Louisville (11-1) 230 52 - 12 12 1

(game ended due to 8-run rule)

UAlbany: Marissa Powell and Kat Smith. Louisville: Tori Collins and Melissa Roth.



South Florida (8-5) 000 000 0 - 0 1 0

UAlbany (6-5) 200 000 x - 2 4 1

UAlbany: Leah McIntosh and Kat Smith. South Florida: Cristi Ecks and Cat Olnick.