University of Albany's Leah McIntosh Tosses Perfect Game on First Day of South Florida Tournament - UAlbany Sports

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Tampa, Fla. – Junior pitcher Leah McIntosh tossed a perfect game to lead the UAlbany softball team to a 12-0 five-inning victory over Rhode Island at South Florida’s The Game Tournament on Friday, Feb. 20. Earlier in the morning, Eastern Michigan earned an 8-0 win over the Great Danes thanks to pitcher Michelle Hletko’s no-hit performance.

Against Rhode Island (0-1) in the second game of the day, UAlbany put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. With two on and two out, Gina Mason doubled to right center which plated Meagan Butsch and Michelle Connors. Mason scored on the next play as Bailey Van Deest singled up the middle, and Kristine Bill doubled to left to score Van Deest. Bill tried to extend her hit to a triple, but was thrown out to end the inning.

The Great Danes doubled their lead in the third. Andrianna Walraven reached on an error to lead off the inning and scored an unearned run on the next play when Connors doubled to left. Butsch was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on. After two outs were recorded, Bill singled to left. A throwing error by the left fielder allowed Butsch and Connors to score, while Bill advanced to third. Kat Smith, who caught her first perfect game and fourth no-hitter, singled to left field on the next play and advanced to second on the throw home in attempt to gun down Bill, who scored the eighth run. Nicole flied out to end UAlbany’s scoring rally.

With a new pitcher in the ballgame for Rhode Island, UAlbany continued to hit the ball around the yard in the fourth and took advantage of several Ram miscues. After the first out was recorded, Kayla Cilley entered the game as a pinch hitter and drove the first pitch she saw to right center for a single. On the next play, Taryn LaColla reached on an error which pushed Walraven, who came in as a pinch runner, up to second. Both runners advanced another bag on a wild pitch, and Butsch drew a walk to load the bases. Stephanie Talerico then drew a free pass which plated Walraven. Batting with two down, Bill hit a bases clearing double, but was thrown out at third for the second time in the game before McIntosh ended the contest on consecutive strikeouts.

McIntosh, who hurled her third career no-hitter, became the first Great Dane pitcher to record a perfect game since Casey Halloran accomplished the rare feat on March 12, 2006 in a 6-0 win over Delaware State. The junior, who now has a 0.33 earned run average, struck out 12 of the 15 batters she faced to improve to 4-0 this season. Jayshree Narendran was credited with the loss for tossing three innings and surrendering eight runs, which included three unearned. Odalys Torres made a relief appearance for one inning, giving up two unearned runs and four total. Both Rhode Island pitchers walked two and fanned one.

In the Great Danes’ first game of the day, Eastern Michigan (0-1) scored two runs in the first inning and three in the second to jump out to a quick 5-0 advantage. With the bases loaded and two outs, Skodinski singled to plate two in the first inning. UAlbany pitcher Marissa Powell got out of any further trouble in the frame by forcing the next batter to ground out to Connors. The Eagles scored their first run of the second on a double steal, and two more unearned runs came in following a throwing error and a single to short by Jenny Scherer.

After Eastern Michigan scored another run in the top of the third to take a six-run lead, UAlbany had its best chance to score in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, Nicole Kothe and Katie Wambold each drew walks to put two runners on for Walraven. However, the sophomore shortstop grounded out to third to end the inning. The Eagles added two more runs in the fourth to seal the final outcome.

Hletko recorded her first career no-hitter in the winning effort for the Eagles. She struck out two and walked three. Powell fell to 1-4 overall after being credited with the loss. Six of the eight runs she surrendered were earned, while the junior also recorded three strikeouts and three walks.

UAlbany (5-4) will face a pair of Big East Conference opponents which advanced to the 2008 NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The Great Danes will play Louisville, ranked 25th by USA Today/NFCA, at 9:30 a.m. and face South Florida, last year’s Big East regular-season champion, at 2 p.m.

-agate-

Eastern Michigan (1-0) 231 20 - 8 10 1

UAlbany 000 00 - 0 0 3

(game ended due to 8-run rule)

UAlbany: Marissa Powell and Kat Smith.

Eastern Michigan: Michelle Hletko and Allison Scherer.



Rhode Island (0-1) 000 00 - 0 0 3

UAlbany (5-4) 404 4x - 12 8 0

(game ended due to 8-run rule)

UAlbany: Leah McIntosh and Kat Smith.

Rhode Island: Jayshree Narendran and Marybeth Ball.