UAlbany Softball advances to America East Championship game

Softball Advances to America East Conference Final in 2-0 Win Against UMBC

Boston, Mass. – Freshman Leah McIntosh fired a two-hit shutout in leading UAlbany to a 2-0 victory over UMBC in the second round of the America East Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon at BU Softball Field. The Great Danes advanced to Saturday’s championship, scheduled for 1:30 p.m., in this double-elimination event.

UAlbany (32-15) survived a three-hour-and-20-minute rain delay en route to reaching the championship final for the fourth time in the last five years. McIntosh allowed just singles in the second and fifth innings in recording her third shutout of the season. She only appeared to be in trouble in the first by allowing a lead-off walk to shortstop Dana Shepherd. Kali Shirk then smacked a line drive to left field that outfielder Amber Maisonet tracked down with an over-the-shoulder catch near the base of the fence. Shepherd was then caught stealing and McIntosh struck out Melanie Denischuk for the third out.

The Great Danes, the tournament’s fourth seed, broke up a scoreless tie in the sixth. Center fielder Nicole Kothe started the uprising with a single, before Michelle Connors (Shenendehowa) reached base on an error by third baseman Ashleigh Robinson. Kelly Ogden then delivered a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Kothe. Meagan Butsch, who homered in Thursday’s 2-1 first-round win over top-seed Boston U., plated an insurance run when she tripled down the right-field line.

“That play by Amber (Maisonet) changed the tone of the game,” said UAlbany coach Chris Cannata, whose program will now play for its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. “It’s been a roller-coaster season with all these freshmen. We have had to play the last three weeks like it was the playoffs. Now that we are here, we seem relaxed and are playing with composure.”

McIntosh, who improved to 10-5 on the season, upped her consecutive inning scoreless streak to 17 straight. The right-hander struck out six and walked one against UMBC (31-17), a club that was averaging 5.5 runs prior to the contest and had swept the three-game regular-season series with the Great Danes. Ashley Gray was the tough-luck loser, as she scattered five hits and registered three strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

“I think we are in a position where we have been playing like there’s nothing to lose,” explained Ogden, a senior who drove in the game-winning run by swinging at the first pitch she saw that was up in the strike zone. “We have a couple of veterans and lot of freshmen who have stepped it up. In the first inning, the team’s confidence grew with some great defensive plays.”

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America East Conference Softball Championship – Second Round

UMBC (31-17) 000 000 0 - 0 2 2

UAlbany (32-15) 000 002 x - 2 5 0

Ashley Gray and Krissy Licursi.

Leah McIntosh and Kat Smith.