Haas Inside-The-Park Homer Powers Terriers Past Holy Cross
April 10, 2002 | Softball
BOXSCORE: Boston University 5, Holy Cross 2
BOSTON - An inside-the-park, three-run home run by freshman shortstop Jamie Haas (Houston, TX) and a strong pitching effort from freshman DeKenya Williams (San Diego, CA) powered the Boston University softball team to a 5-2 win over Holy Cross at the B. U. Softball Field on Wednesday, April 10.
B. U. starting pitcher Tiffany Finateri (Las Vegas, NV) struggled with her control early in the game. The right-hander walked Holy Cross's Alycia FitzPatrick with the bases loaded to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. Christine Clark followed with an RBI single to left field to double the Holy Cross lead.
Finateri's woes continued in the top of the third, as two throwing errors to first base loaded the bases once again for Holy Cross (8-18, 4-4 Patriot League). B. U. head coach Amy Hayes pulled Finateri in favor of Williams, and she responded by striking out the next two Crusader batters to get out of the bases-loaded jam.
The Terriers struck for their first run in the bottom of the third, as Holy Cross left fielder Melissa Beshire could not handle a routine fly ball off the bat of freshman center fielder Julie Henneke (Philadelphia, PA). The error allowed sophomore Abbey Pauley (Spring, TX), who was running on the two-out fly ball, to score from first base.
Haas broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth. With the Holy outfield playing in to defend against the slap hit, Haas ripped a two-out line drive into left center, clearing the bases and providing Haas enough time to sprint around the bases and beat the throw to the plate. B. U., which came into the fourth inning without a hit, produced five hits and four runs in the inning.
Williams (1-7), who came into the game with an earned run average of 4.64, pitched masterfully for the final 4.2 innings. She allowed only two hits and two walks, while striking out six Holy Cross batters. Haas finished the game 2-for-2, with the three-run home run, a double, walk, and two stolen bases. The homer was the first of her career.
Finateri, despite her defensive troubles, went 2-for-2 from the plate with one run scored.
Clark collected two of the Crusaders' five hits in the game, going 2-for-4 in the game. Holy Cross pitcher Christine Palmeri (2-4) pitched a complete-game, giving up four earned runs on seven hits. She held the Terriers hitless in the first three innings.
The win was the 18th in a row in the series. B. U. holds a 19-3 all-time advantage.
B. U. (13-18, 7-1 America East) returns to conference play when it travels the Albany to face the Great Danes in a four-game series on Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14. The series marks the first meeting between the two schools in softball.
