March 31, 2011 STORRS, Conn. - The Quinnipiac University softball team defeated Connecticut, 7-3, in a non-conference game held at the Burrill Family Field on Thursday afternoon. With the win, the Bobcats improve to 16-13 on the year, while the Huskies drop to 11-14. The second contest of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled due to weather.

Quinnipiac junior pitcher Heather Schwartzburg (Mission Viejo, Calif.) picked up her ninth win of the year as she pitched six innings against the Huskies. Schwartzburg struck out six batters and allowed one run and one unearned run. Mina Duffy (Piedmont, Calif.) pitched one inning for the Bobcats and drove in one run as the designated hitter.

Overall, six different Bobcats scored runs against the Huskies, while seven batters contributed at least one hit in the contest. Bobcats' outfielder Lauren Salgado (Covina, Calif.) went 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while third baseman Bridget Figmic (Stratford, Conn.) also went 2-4 with one run scored and an RBI. Centerfielder Christy Cabrera (Reno, Nev.) and second baseman Jacqueline Ristow (Seal Beach, Calif.) each contributed two hits. In addition, Cabrera also drove in a run and Ristow scored a run for Quinnipiac.

The Huskies took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Freshman Andrea Huelsenbeck led off the inning with a walk and stole second. After, Kim Silva walked and stole second, followed by a Brittany Duclos walk to load the bases. Then, junior Amy Vaughan doubled to right field, driving in Silva and Huelsenbeck, for the two-run advantage.

Quinnipiac answered with three runs in the top of the third. Ristow led off with a single to left field. The second batter of the inning, Alex Alba (Sylmar, Calif.), reached on an error by the first baseman, allowing Ristow to advance to second. After freshman Jordan Paolucci (Lake Mary, Fla.) loaded the bases on a walk, Duffy also walked, driving in Ristow for Quinnipiac's first run of the game. Figmic responded with a single to center field, driving in Alba. The Bobcats' third run was scored by Paolucci on a Joelle Jacobsen (Flemington, N.J.) single to second base. Quinnipiac ended the inning with three runs, three hits and three left on base.

After the Bobcats took a one-run lead, 3-2, the Huskies added a run in the same inning to tie the game at three runs apiece on a Huelsenbeck homerun.

The Bobcats' came back and scored two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth. Quinnipiac's Salgado bunted to drive in Bridget Figmic who had reached base on a lead-off single to left field. Salgado advanced to third base on a throwing error and was able to score on a Cabrera single up the middle.

In the top of the seventh, Quinnipiac scored two security runs to increase its lead, 7-3. The Bobcats' catcher Ashley Heiberger (Sioux Falls, S.D.) led off with a walk and later scored on a throwing error. Salgado also reached base on a throwing error and scored the game's final run when Alba flied out to right field.

The Bobcats begin Northeast Conference play this weekend when they take on Mount St. Mary's and Monmouth in two doubleheaders. Quinnipiac plays the Mount on Saturday, April 2 and the Hawks on Sunday, April 3. Both doubleheaders will begin at noon at the Quinnipiac Softball Field in Hamden, Conn.