April 30, 2011

Game One/Game Two

Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University softball team played host to Northeast-10 front runner Merrimack College on Saturday, April 30 in Garden City. Senior's Leighann Bell and Deandra Leo helped guide the Panthers to victories of 3-1 and 6-2 on "Senior Day". With the sweep Adelphi improves to 27-21 overall and 19-9 in NE-10 play, rising into a four way tie for the top spot in the conference.

Game One
Adelphi struck first in game one, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second. Amanda Krier scored the first run when she scored on a Deandra Leo squeeze bunt and Leo would scored later in the inning on a Merrimack throwing error during a double steal, 2-0.

The Panthers third run came off the bat of Jeanine Leo, who hit a solo blast with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning to push Adelphi's cushion to three runs, 3-0. Merrimack got a one out double in the top of the fifth and took advantage of a Panther miscue, scoring their only run of the game.

Leighann Bell won her 14th game of the season, pitching seven strong innings, striking out seven, giving up just four hits and working out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth. Both Deandra Leo and Amy Ogden had two hit days for Adelphi, while Deandra and Jeanine Leo drove in runs.

Game Two
The Panthers pounced early again in game two, this time with three runs in the first. Shay Craig drove in the first run when her double scored Ogden from second. Craig then scored Adelphi's second run when she stole home and Jeanine Leo would score later in the inning on a Merrimack error, 3-0.

Adelphi tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third off the bat of Deandra Leo. Leo crushed a home run to left field scoring herself and Krier to push Adelphi's edge to, 5-0. In the process Leo hit her 10th home run of the season, tying the Adelphi single season mark.

Leo also drove in the Panthers insurance run in the bottom of the fifth with a single that brought home Krier, giving Adelphi a 6-0 lead. The Warriors would get two runs back in the top of the sixth on a two run home run to deep center, but that was as close as they would get, falling 6-2.

Katie Andrews threw seven solid innings, striking out five and scattering eight hits to pick up her 11th victory of the season. Leo was on fire at the plate, going 3-3 with a run scored and three RBI, while Krier was 2-3 with two runs scored.

Adelphi returns to the field on Sunday, May 1 when they close out regular season play against UMass-Lowell in Garden City, New York at noon.