Quinnipiac Softball Wins Two Games In The Final Day Of Longwood Classic
Freshman pitcher Katie Alfiere (Beacon Falls, Conn.) won her first collegiate contest against Stony Brook. The right-handed pitcher allowed six hits and struck out four batters in seven innings. The Bobcats' catcher Jordan Paolucci (Lake Mary, Fla.) and third baseman Bridget Figmic (Stratford, Conn.) each scored two runs, while shortstop Christy Cabrera (Reno, Nev.) and senior captain Joelle Jacobsen (Flemington, N.J.) each picked up two hits and drove in two runs.
The Bobcats scored their first two runs against Stony Brook in the second inning, as Jacobsen drove in Figmic and Paolucci on a single down the left-field line. In the top of the fourth, Quinnipiac compiled five runs to take a 7-0 lead. With the bases loaded, Mina Duffy hit a single to left field, driving in Figmic for the first run of the inning, followed by a Cabrera double to left field, driving in two runs. Jacqueline Ristow (Seal Beach, Conn.) singled on a bunt to third base, allowing Lauren Salgado (Covina, Calif.) to score another run for the Bobcats. Quinnipiac's final run of the fourth was scored by Cabrera to close the inning.
The Seawolves responded with their runs in the fourth and fifth innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Stony Brook's Karath singled to second base to drive in Fortier. Later in the fifth, the Seawolves scored off a Hawley run, narrowing the gap by five runs, 7-2.
Paolucci scored the Bobcats last run of the contest as she hit her second homerun of the season in the seventh inning, resulting in a Quinnipiac 8-2 win against Stony Brook.
Quinnipiac defeated Bucknell for the second time at Longwood's tournament. The Bobcats were led by Ristow, Paolucci, and Ashley Heiberger, who each scored two runs. Cabrera and Heiberger each contributed two hits, while senior right fielder Kim Brzezinski led all Bobcats with three RBI. Emily O'Keefe started the first-four innings and took the win for Quinnipiac, while Heather Schwartzburg pitched the last three innings of the game. Schwartzburg collected five strikeouts in 10 at bats.
Bucknell took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning after Ford stole home. Quinnipiac responded with a run in the bottom of the second to tie the game, 1-1, on a Paolucci run.
Quinnipiac scored three runs in the third inning as Brzezinski doubled to center field, driving in three Bobcats. The team added another run in the fifth inning as Jacobsen drove in Heiberger on a single to third base.
Quinnipiac added three runs in the sixth inning, to hold an 8-1 advantage over the Bison. Salgado scored the Bobcats first run of the inning on a throwing error by the Bison's catcher. Quinnipiac's next run was a result of a Jessica Amenda (Milford, Conn.) single to right-field, while the final run was scored after Kortney Kesses (Woodbridge, Conn.) singled out. The Bison were unable to score in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in an 8-1 Bobcat victory.
Quinnipiac returns to action at the Under Armor Invitational, hosted by the University of South Florida, between March 4 and March 6. The Bobcats will play Western Michigan, Loyola Maryland, Central Michigan, Florida International and Maine at the tournament.