UAlbany Softball Upends UMBC, Moves On To America East Semi-Final Saturday @ Noon - UAlbany Sports 2009

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Meagan Butsch homered, doubled twice and scored three runs to lead UAlbany to a 5-1 victory over UMBC in the loser’s bracket of the America East Conference Softball Championship on Friday, May 8 at Stony Brook’s University Field. The Great Danes, who lost in extra innings to start the day, will face Stony Brook on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. in an elimination game.

UAlbany (37-15) trailed 1-0 with two outs in the third inning when Butsch slammed her school-record 15th home run of the season over the left-field fence. The Great Danes scored times in the fifth to break the tie. Butsch doubled into the right-field gap to start the uprising, before Gina Mason was hit by a pitch. Michelle Connors pushed Butsch across with a fielders’ choice ground ball. Bailey Van Deest, who had two hits, drove in another run with a ground ball to the shortshop. The throw went to the plate, but catcher Amanda Page couldn’t hang on to the ball which allowed a sliding Mason to score. Connors also came home on the same play as the ball went to the back of the fence.

The Great Danes, who set the program’s single-season standard with their 37th win, tacked on an insurance run in the sixth. Butsch, the America East co-player of the year, delivered a one-out double before moving to third on a passed ball. Connors, who totaled two hits with two RBIs, then doubled to right field.

Starting pitcher Marissa Powell upped her record to 19-10 by scattering four hits, while striking out four and walking one. Powell, who threw her 25th complete game of the season, sent UMBC hitters down in order in four of seven innings, including one-two-three in the final frame. The Retrievers finished 34-21 overall.

“We had a very disappointing loss to start the day, and we could have packed our bags up because it was very emotional,” said UAlbany coach Chris Cannata, whose team has won three previous America East championships. “However, we battled back and Marissa threw a great game. We have to continue taking it one game at a time.”

In first-round play, Nora Militz’s run-scoring double in the eighth inning led Boston University to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over UAlbany. The Great Danes built a 3-0 lead after four innings. Mason belted her seventh home run of the season over the center-field fence in the second. After Kristine Bill doubled, Van Deest sent an RBI single through the left side. Catcher Kat Smith, who went 3-for-4 at the plate, drilled the first pitch of the fourth to left field for her third homer of the spring.

Boston U. picked up a run in the fifth after UAlbany hurler Leah McIntosh had struck out the first two batters of the inning. Rachel Hebert lined a double down the right-field line and later came across on error by the UAlbany center fielder. The Terriers, who have won six conference championships in their history, came up with another two-out rally in the sixth. Militz singled to right and Brooke Hudson followed with a two-run blast that tied the contest at three apiece.

In the seventh, shortstop Andriana Walraven led off with a double and was sacrificed to third, but the heart of the the Great Danes’ order failed to get her across. Boston U. broke through in the first extra frame when Melissa Dubay singled up the middle, took second on a sacrifice bunt, and came home on Militz’s RBI double into the left-field gap.