Terriers Down Hartford, 3-2, Advance To Championship Game
May 10, 2002 | Softball
BURLINGTON, VT - Freshman Julie Henneke (Philadelphia, PA) and junior Robyn Horrick (Irvine, CA) combined to strikeout 14 Hartford batters while giving up only three hits, pacing the Boston University softball team to a 3-2 victory in the America East Championship at Vermont's Post Field. The win moves the Terriers into the tournament's championship game on Saturday against Hartford.
B. U. started the scoring in the top of the first, as league Player of the Year Jamie Haas (Houston, TX) opened the game with a double to left. The freshman advanced to third base on a single by sophomore center fielder Abbey Pauley (Spring, TX). Haas then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Henneke to make the score 1-0.
Hartford evened the score in the bottom of the first inning, as pitcher Liz Nadeau tripled into the left field gap to score left fielder Ryan Williams.
The Terriers took a 3-1 lead in the third inning after Haas led off the inning with a bloop single down the left field line. Pauley then hit a bunt single to third. After a Nadeau wild pitch allowed the runners to move up a base, the Hawks intentionally walked senior first baseman Aryn Rangel (Greeley, CO) to load the bases. Sophomore Nichole Kurker (Medfield, MA) made the Hawks pay, as she hit a two-RBI single up the middle to plate both Haas and Pauley.
Haas' hit to lead off the third inning set a team record for hits in a season with 61.
Hartford (23-14-1) cut the Terriers' lead to 3-2 after Henneke gave up a two-out walk to center fielder Bryn Weller. She moved up to second on a wild pitch, and first baseman Kim Schwimmer singled to short to advance Weller to third. She scored on the next at bat on Henneke's second wild pitch of the inning.
Horrick came on in relief for Henneke to start the bottom of the fifth. After pitching her first career no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Albany the day before, Horrick struck out six batters and walked three to earn her first career save. She has not given up a hit in her 10 innings of work during the championship
Henneke (9-4) struck out eight and walked two while giving up three hits and two earned runs in four innings. Nadeau (9-8) pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits and three earned runs.
Haas finished the game 2-4 with two runs scored, matching her offensive performance in the Albany game. She has scored four of the team's six runs in the two games. Pauley was the only other Terriers with two hits, she went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
B. U. (27-21) advances to the championship game on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Terriers' opponent in the title game will by Hartford, which was a 2-0 winner over Albany in an elimination game. In order for the Hawks to win the championship, they will have to defeat B. U. twice.
