For Immediate Release
May 12, 2012
Reporting provided by the Southern Connecticut State University Athletics Communications Staff
New Haven, Conn. – Keyed by a four-run fourth inning that snapped a 2-2 tie, and a complete game six-hitter from senior pitcher Jayme Larson, the Southern Connecticut State University softball team punched its ticket to the College World Series with a 9-2 win over Molloy in a winner-take-all East Super Regional contest on Saturday.
The Owls entered the day needing to sweep a doubleheader from Molloy to earn their first-ever trip to the College World Series. After posting a 3-2 win in the opener, So. Connecticut broke the decisive game open with a late offensive surge.
So. Connecticut improved to 42-11 overall with the win and matched the program single-season record for victories.
The Owls will face the Midwest Super Regional champ, St. Joseph's (Ind.) (34-18) in its first game on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The NCAA Division II College World Series follows a double-elimination format.
It marks the first representative from the Northeast-10 Conference since Le Moyne College advanced to the Softball College World Series during the 2009 series.
Larson tossed 26 and 2/3 innings and 422 pitches over the two-day Super Regional. She finished 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA and fanned 19 batters in the process.
The Owls fell behind 1-0 after Molloy struck for a run in its first at-bat. So. Connecticut went ahead with two runs in the second. Kate Hoffman doubled to open the inning.
One batter later, Stacy Pouliot singled to drive in Hoffman and moved to second on the throw. Julie Muscarella followed with a single to plate Pouliot for a 2-1 lead.
Molloy evened the game with a run in the third, but they would not score again. The Owls broke the contest open with a four-run frame in the fourth.
Hoffman again started the rally with a single and was run for by Alyssa Pagano, who stole second. Pouliot then walked to put two runners on. One out later, Shawna Mallory singled to drive in Pagano for a lead the Owls would not relinquish.
After a walk to Brittany Bucko, Nicole Buch added a two-run single up the middle to score Pouliot and Mallory. Kristin Whitley then laced a single off the glove of the third baseman to score Bucko for a 6-2 cushion.
The Owls added some insurance in the sixth. Bucko singled and scored on a RBI double by Whitley. Alyssa Downs then launched her 16th homer of the year over the centerfield fence to make it 9-2.
In the process, Downs moved into first place on the all-time single-season RBI list with her 60th and 61st of the year.
