#1 Rochester Blanks Marywood 6-0 in NCAA Opener

Marywood University Pacers

Stephanie Bagniewski was 2-for-3 in her NCAA tournament debut

Softball - 5/9/2014 5:04:00 PM

Box Score Box Score

Rochester, NY - The University of Rochester Yellowjackets used a pair of three run innings to down #4 Marywood 6-0 in Friday's NCAA Division III Regional tournament. The top-seeded Yellowjackets improved to 27-11 and will take on #2 Alfred Saturday morning at 11:00 am. Marywood fell to 24-12 on the year and will face #3 Messiah College in the 1:30 pm elimination game. Messiah lost 4-1 to Alfred earlier in the day.

Marywood starter Lindsey Gibbs (13-5) got out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the first. After a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases, Gibbs got a pop-out, forceout at home and strikeout to end the Yellowjacket first and keep the score at 0-0. Gibbs would get the first two batters in the bottom of the second, but Rochester got two more singles and another walk to load the bases again. This time, Gibbs could not get out of it as Liberty League Player of the Year Nina Korn ripped a bases clearing triple down the right field line to put the hosts up 3-0.

Neither team could do anything in a scoreless third, and Marywood got it's first hit of the game in the top of the fourth when Diana Butash beat out an infield single to the shortstop. The Pacers could not capitalize that inning either. In a scoreless fifth, Mayrwood got their second hit from Stephanie Bagniewski, who hit a shot up the middle of the field for a single.

In the sixth, Marywood got another hit from Butash and Mariah Runco singled as well, but the Pacers would strand their only runner who reached scoring position on the day when Yellowjacket pitcher Brittany Grage got a strikeout to end the Pacers' inning.

Rochester would add three more runs in the bottom half of the sixth to put the game out of reach. Megan Hennessy started the scoring with a run scoring double to left center, and with runners on second and third with one out, Eleni Wechsler hit a single down the left-field line to pick up a pair of RBI.

Bagniewski would pick up her second hit of the game in the top of the seventh with a single, but a fielder's choice and groundout to third ended the game.

Bagniewski and Butash both finished the game 2-for-3 for Marywood. Gibbs had four strikeouts in her 5.1 innings pitched, and was relieved by Alyssa Bavaro who pitched two thirds of an inning. Grage (14-6) also fanned four batters in the win. Korn finished the game 2-for-2 with a triple and three RBI. Hennessy was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

POST-GAME QUOTES:

Marywood Coach Bob Fitzsimons:
On Gibbs getting out of the 3-on, no out jam in the first:
"Lindsey's a great pitcher. In the bottom of the first, things could have gone south quickly. When she got out of it, our team go behind her. They worked hard and made some plays."

On Rochester's Nina Korn who hit the 3-run triple to put the Yellowjackets up:
"Her stats speak for themselves. She got on top of it (the pitch she hit). It was the second time she got to look at Lindsey."

On Marywood:
"Tomorrow, we start all over. We learned from today. We can hit the ball with anybody. We know we can play defense and pitch"

Rochester's Nina Korn
On her three-run triple in 2nd:
"There was a lot of talk about last weekend and how well we hit (as a team). I just wanted to get anything through the infield to move runners along.

Question: Any nerves?
Korn: "Definitely. This is the NCAAs. Your career could be over at any time."

Rochester Coach Margaret Yerdon:
When team did not score in first:
"I still thought we'd be OK. We were making good contact. I thought we'd get runs in at some point.

Overall thoughts on game:
"We had timely hitting when we had runners in scoring position. Nina's been really great, getting timely hits. And we played good defense today."

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