Bobcats Bounce Back, Sweep FDU Knights

Bobcats Bounce Back, Sweep FDU Knights
by Tom Butto
April 7, 2008

HAMDEN — A day after the Quinnipiac University softball team lost both games of a double header to in-state rival Sacred Heart University, the Bobcats stepped onto the field and swept the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson University on Sunday.

The Bobcats (13-24, 3-5 NEC) won the first game in the double header against the NEC opponent 4-2.

The Knights (5-12, 1-5) put up the first run of the game in the fifth inning off of Quinnipiac starter Kristin Sheriff when FDU’s starting pitcher, Trina Fields, hit a home run deep to left center field.

The Bobcats did not take much longer to strike back, when in the bottom of the fifth inning, Quinnipiac did the little things to manufacture a run. After Kelly Wall hit a double to lead off the inning, Heather Maffeo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move wall to third, and Carry Simms hit an RBI single to tie the game at 1.

Quinnipiac took command of the game in the sixth inning with an offensive explosion when Sheriff led off the inning with a single, and was replaced on the base paths by Angela Casella. Christine Bourdeau drove home the pinch runner to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead.

Later in the inning Bourdeau stole third with two outs and Kelly Wall had a clutch two out hit to give them a 3-1 lead and Maffeo drove Wall home for the final run of the inning to give the Bobcats a 4-1 lead.

Kristin Sheriff pitched a complete game for the Bobcats in the winning effort. Sheriff struck out six, walked four, and gave up two earned runs.

While offense was the story of the first game, the second game of the double header was all about pitching for both teams.

Jaimie Iaquinto and Ashley Buchanan battled each other in a pitcher’s duel as both took shut outs into the eighth inning of a regulation seven inning game.

In that eighth inning, the Bobcats looked like they were on the ropes when the Knights scored two runs on Iaquinto, the emerging ace for the Bobcats.

The Bobcats rallied in the bottom of the inning when Quinnipiac’s Joelle Jacobsen scored on an error and another two out clutch RBI base hit by Kelly Wall.

The Bobcats then came up in the bottom of the ninth inning looking to win the game. Carry Simms led off with a walk, and was replaced by pinch runner Julie Sini. Jill Viglione sacrifice bunted Sini to second. The Bobcats’ final clutch base hit came in the form of Emily Bellush’s shot that hit the base of the wall to win the game by a final of 3-2.

Jaimie Iaquinto pitched nine innings for the complete game victory while striking out three, walking three, and giving up two earned runs. Kelly Wall went 3-4 in the game.

Softball Loses Double Header to Pioneers

Softball Loses Double Header to Pioneers
by Tom Butto
April 6, 2008

HAMDEN — The Quinnipiac University softball team lost both games of their double header to in-state rival Sacred Heart University (13-14, 5-1) on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Field.

The Bobcats (11-24, 1-5) ran into a pitching road block and a hitting clinic in the first game in the form of Megan Spehar, a star pitcher on the Pioneers team. Spehar befuddled the Bobcats hitters in a complete game six hit performance. The veteran senior pitcher only gave up one earned run as she painted the outside corner of the paint throughout the game.

The two runs scored by the Bobcats came on a throwing error by Shannon McCoy scoring Jill Viglione from second base. The next run for Quinnipiac came on an RBI single by sophomore outfielder Heather Maffeo to tie the game.

Spehar helped out her own cause with an RBI single in the sixth inning, she also had three hits and scored a run. The pitcher has seven RBI and is batting .228 on the year.

In the second game of the double header, the Bobcats had an equally difficult challenge, going up against the dominating freshman pitcher for the Pioneers, Jen Russell. Before the second game, Russell was 6-7 and had been a workhorse, pitching 86 innings.

Sacred Heart got the same results as Russell, as she pitched six innings, giving up one unearned run on an RBI single by Emily Bellush.

Taylor Frolich, Melissa Mezzanotte, and Shannon McCoy all had two RBI in the winning effort for Sacred Heart.

Softball splits NEC double dip against Wagner

Softball splits NEC double dip against Wagner
by Tom Butto
March 30, 2008

HAMDEN – After a rough double header on Saturday that resulted in 8-0 and 7-0 losses to conference foe Long Island University, the Bobcats looked to put up their first conference win of the season, this time against Wagner. They were also looking to break a three-game losing streak.

Quinnipiac (11-20, 1-3 NEC) did get that win in the second game of the double header by beating the Wagner Seahawks (10-11, 0-2 NEC) 5-2.

“We got a lot of veterans on this team,” said Germaine Fairchild, the head coach of the softball team. “Everyone on the team knows that they need to conserve energy and give it their all when conference play comes around.”

The first game started well for the Bobcats, when they took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Quinnipiac took a 1-0 lead when Christine Bourdeau lined a one out RBI double to left center field, which drove home senior Jill Viglione.

That ended Quinnipiac’s nineteen inning scoreless streak at home, but that was nearly the only good news in game one for the Bobcats. They scored one run in the fourth, one in the fifth and that was it.

The Seahawks touched up Kristin Sheriff for two runs in the next inning. Sheriff walked two batters before Ami Iwicki drove a two out double that plated the two batters that Sheriff walked.

Sheriff was pitching for the second day in a row, after she threw 5 2/3 innings against Long Island University in the last game of yesterday’s double header.

The Bobcats took a 3-2 lead going into the sixth inning. But that is when the wheels came off of the train when Coach Fairchild replaced Sheriff with Emily Bellush, after Sheriff put the first two batters of the inning on base.

Bellush had no control of her pitches, allowing the runners Sheriff put on to score. She also gave up four additional runs and threw four wild pitches.

The Bobcats wound up losing the first game 10-3.

The second game of the double header produced better results as Jaimie Iaquinto took the mound looking to stop the bleeding from the previous three games.

Iaquinto, the right handed sophomore, dazzled the Wagner batters. She struck out ten batters while giving up only two runs on four hits.

In a two inning stretch during the second and third inning, Iaquinto struck out four batters in a row. She struck out Christina Pinkus, Ami Iwicki, and Jamie El-Aazami all looking.

“Jaimie pitched great today in an effort that we really needed,” said Fairchild. “But let’s not forget Brianne Sloane. Behind every pitcher there is a great catcher, and she caught a great game.”

The Bobcats next game is on the road when they take on Rhode Island University. Their next home games are on April 5th and April 6th when Quinnipiac plays conference opponents Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson. The game on the 5th will be broadcasted by WQAQ.

Bobcats Open Up Conference, Lose To LIU Twice

Bobcats Open Up Conference, Lose To LIU Twice
by Tom Butto
March 29, 2008

HAMDEN — The Quinnipiac University softball team came into Northeast Conference play losers of two games in a row, and looked to stop the losing streak by taking the Long Island University Blackbirds at home.

However, the day of action on the field did not turn out as planned, as the Bobcats ran into two dominating pitching performances, losing 8-0 in the first game and 7-0 in the second game. The Bobcats fell to 10-19 on the season, and 0-2 in conference play, while the Blackbirds improved to 12-13 overall and 2-0 in the NEC.

In the first game of the double header at Bobcat Field, Blaire Porter dazzled the Bobcats with excellent command of her fastball. Porter threw a complete game ten strikeout gem, while walking one batter and only giving up two infield singles in the shutout.

Jaime Iaquinto, the right handed pitcher from the Bobcats, had the opposite type of day on the mound. Iaquinto had a rocky outing, giving up eight runs and walking five batters in her complete game effort. Iaquinto’s troubles started in the second inning when Brynn Lewis, the sophomore second baseman for the Blackbirds, drove in two runs with the bases loaded.

Lewis had just as big of a game as her teammate Porter did. She drove in four runs in the game.

The second game did not go any better for Quinnipiac, as Jenny Giles of the Blackbirds struck out three and walked four in her complete game shutout effort, matching the complete game shutout that Porter threw.

The pitching performance in the second game of the double header was also mirrored by Quinnipiac’s starter, Kristin Sherriff. She also gave up three runs in the second inning of her outing.

Like Iaquinto, Sheriff also settled down, not giving up a run until the sixth inning, when she gave up two runs. She was replaced by the southpaw Emily Bellush. Bellush allowed two runs of her own in 1.1 innings on the mound.

The Bobcats only had a total of five hits in the double header, as their seaso-long hitting woes continued. As a team, Quinnipiac only sports a .203 average on the season, and does not have one hitter batting at or above .300. The Bobcats highest average belongs to sophomore Christine Bourdeau, who’s hitting .289.

Bobcats Taken Down by UConn, Wind In Home Opener

Bobcats Taken Down by UConn, Wind In Home Opener
by Tom Butto
March 21, 2008

HAMDEN – The Quinnipiac Bobcats softball team lost to UConn 9-0 in five innings of play in their home opener at Bobcat Field on Thursday. The Bobcats who fell to 7-14 on the season were looking to stop an eight game losing streak.

The Bobcats came home after playing in three tournaments in Virginia and Florida where they played tough competition such as Yale and Longwood.

The game started off good for the Bobcats, with Jaimie Iaquinto, a sophomore pitcher, turning in an impressive three inning, four hit performance, while striking out two and giving up one unearned run.

The trouble for the Bobcats came when Carolyn Schmolz replaced Iaquinto and when the wind started whipping around. UConn touched up Schmolz, scoring eight runs in her two innings of work.

Danielle Del Ponte and Micah Truax of UConn both hit two-run homers in the fifth inning which put the game out of reach for the Bobcats for good.

The mercy rule in softball is if a team has an eight run lead after five innings of play.

When Quinnipiac’s pitching started to falter, UConn’s starter, Tricia Sullivan, was dominant the whole game.
Sullivan struck out six batters and only gave up a single to Kristin Sheriff.

The wind played a factor in the fourth and fifth inning when two routine pop ups to Christine Bourdeau, Quinnipiac’s shortstop, turned into adventures. Both pop ups seemed to be going right to Bourdeau’s spot at shortstop, but both times the wind carried the ball all the way to the middle of the infield, leading to base hits.

The Bobcats will head off to Stony Brook, N.Y on Friday to play at the Stony Brook Invitational where they will be looking to end their nine game losing streak.

A Letter from the Editors

The WQAQ Sports Blog was an idea generated by the WQAQ Sports Department over the winter break between the fall and spring semesters this year.

We never thought it would get this big.

Since January 23, 2007, the day we started the blog, it has recieved just over 2,900 views from you, our loyal readers.

So for that, we say thank you.

Whether you are a parent of our fine Quinnipiac athletes, a parent of our fantastic WQAQ Sports Department staff that make up our writers, or a fan of Quinnipiac Athletics, thank you for reading all semester.

From the opening of the TD Banknorth Sports Center, to the firing of Joe DeSantis, to the hockey team’s run to the ECAC Hockey Championship Game, to the hiring of Tom Moore, and even through the baseball team’s trip to the NEC Tournament, this has been a truly historic semester for Quinnipiac Athletics, and we are truly glad we could bring it to you on this page.

So for the summer, we say adieu. But please know that we will be back in the fall. We hope to have have periodic articles over the summer, but WQAQ Sports will continue to endeavor to bring you the best Quinnipiac Sports coverage on the net when we return in the fall semester.

So until then, have a fantastic summer!

Sincerely,

Seth Rothman and Steve Tisi
WQAQ Sports Directors

Softball swept out of NEC Tournament

Softball swept out of NEC Tournament
by Seth Rothman
May 11, 2007

The Quinnipiac softball team (18-27, 12-6 NEC) saw its season come to an end on Friday thanks to two losses in the bottom of the seventh inning in consecutive games of the double elimination NEC Tournament.

Game 1 between top seeded Long Island (32-19, 16-2 NEC) and #4 Quinnipiac was a pitchers duel. Long Island pitcher Jenny Giles out-dueled Quinnipiac’s Kristin Sheriff for 7 highly impressive innings. Giles, the 2007 NEC Pitcher of the Year threw a no-hitter, allowing only 1 walk while facing 4 batters above the minimum. Sheriff matched her out for out until the second batter of the 7th inning.

After scattering 4 hits and allowing 1 walk through the first 6.1 innings, Sheriff left a 2-1 offering over the plate to LIU left-fielder Chelsea Martinson. She connected on a long homer to left field to walk off with the win for the top-seeded Blackbirds by a final score of 1-0.

Game 2 was a one-sided affair for most of the contest between the Bobcats and Wagner. Quinnipiac exploded for 4 runs in the second inning to take a 5-2 lead into the 3rd inning. By the time the bottom of the 7th had started, Quinnipiac was on top 7-3 with NEC Rookie of the Year Krista Seeman pitching for the Bobcats. However, things started to unravel thanks to three errors in the inning committed by Quinnipiac.

With the score 7-4 and the bases loaded full of Wagner Seahawks (32-18, 13-5 NEC), Andrea Lazzari doubled into the right center field gap, scoring 2 runners. After Seeman struck Victoria Batistelli out swinging, Joy Gallagher lifted a fly ball into center field. When it fell in front of center fielder Maria Browne, Quinnipiac’s season was over thanks to an 8-7 Wagner win.

Thanks to the win, Wagner advances to the loser’s bracket final against Monmouth for the right to face off against Long Island, who is already in the championship round of the NEC Tournament.

Quinnipiac’s season ends in the NEC Tournament after a season full of ups and downs. Quinnipiac loses four seniors from this year’s team, but retains its best player, Krista Seeman, and nearly its entire pitching staff.

Please stay tuned onto the WQAQ Sports Bobcats Radio Network in the coming weeks for the NEC Baseball Tournament. The Quinnipiac Bobcats are close to clinching a spot in the four team double elimination tournament, and should they make it, we will broadcast their games in the tournament. Please view the “Game Broadcast Schedule” page for more information on how to access the games from New Britain, Connecticut. The tournament begins on Thursday, May 24 and will end Sunday, May 26. Kevin Sokolski and Matt Janik will have the call.   

Sammi Allendorfer named WQAQ Sports Athlete of the Week

WQAQ Sports names Sammi Allendorfer Athlete of the Week

WQAQ Sports has named softball’s Sammi Allendorfer as its Athlete of the Week for the week ending on April 25, 2007.

The senior from Glenside, PA made sure the 4 player senior class would go out with a bang at Bobcat Field. She slammed three home runs on senior day to power the Bobcats to a sweep of St. Francis (PA) on Sunday.

She hit her first homer in the bottom of the 6th inning of game 1. At the time, the Bobcats trailed 2-1, but Sammi’s two-run home run gave the Bobcats a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.

Her second home run of the day came in game 2. In the bottom of the first inning, Allendorfer slammed the ball over the fence in center field for her 2nd two-run home run of the day. Allendorfer ended the day 4-6 with 5 RBI and 3 runs scored. Game two ended in 5 innings thanks to the mercy rule after the Bobcats scored 10 runs in the first three innings to win the game 10-0.

The Quinnipiac softball team is back in action tomorrow for a Northeast Conference doubleheader at top-ranked LIU before facing off against league rival Sacred Heart on Saturday. The team is currently 4th in the league standings, 1 game above Robert Morris and the Pioneers of Sacred Heart. Only 4 teams will make the conference tournament, scheduled for May 12 and 13 at the highest seed.

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Krista Seeman named WQAQ Sports Athlete of the Week

WQAQ Sports Names Krista Seeman Athlete of the Week

HAMDEN — The WQAQ Sports Department has named softball’s Krista Seeman as its Athlete of the Week for the week ending on April 4, 2007.

Seeman hit 3 home runs this week and slugged 7 RBI over the course of 3 games. In the Bobcats second NEC doubleheader of the year, Seeman hit 1 home run, while driving in 4 runs on April 1st against Mount St. Mary’s. On Tuesday against the University of Connecticut, Seeman hit two homers and drove in three RBI.

Seeman also started game 2 against The Mount, and the game against UConn, throwing two complete games. She gave up only three earned runs in 14 innings pitched.

For the season, Seeman leads the team in nearly every offensive category, and has compiled a 1.92 ERA in the pitching circle.

The Bobcats are back in action on Friday, when they face off against NEC foe Central Connecticut State University in a conference doubleheader. The games can be heard on the WQAQ Bobcats Sports Network. Kevin Sokolski and Andrew Davis will have the call, starting with the pre-game show at 12:45 pm. First pitch is slated for 1pm.  

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