Game 1
By Erik Thomas
Lehigh’s softball team beat Colgate University 8-0 in its first game of a doubleheader and second of a weekend series on Sunday at Leadership Park.
Junior outfielder Ashley Cole stepped in to pinch hit for sophomore outfielder Nicole Yozzo with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth and hit a double deep into left field to drive in senior outfielder MacKenzie Velasquez, freshman outfielder Ashley Quidolit and sophomore catcher Carolyn Wright to end the game via the eight-run mercy rule.
Lehigh got on the board early off of a double by Velasquez that drove in Quidolit to score in the bottom of the second. Velasquez recorded one hit with two RBI and one run in the game.
Lehigh added three to its total after back-to-back hits from sophomore shortstop Lindsay Phillips, who singled to left and to drive in senior first baseman Jessica Calvini to score, and Quidolit, who tripled to center field to drive in Phillips and Wright.
Freshmen pitcher Emily Sorem started the game for the Mountain Hawks and pitched all five innings. Sorem had seven strikeouts, allowed two hits and one walk over 20 batters faced.
Game 2
By Austin Edwards
The Lehigh softball team swept a three-game series against Colgate this weekend, winning the second of a doubleheader 3-1 Sunday at Leadership Park.
In the second game, junior pitcher Christine Campbell held Colgate to just one hit, striking out five.
“Really great games today. Any time you come out 8-0, its a strong outing. I would have liked to see us score more runs in the second game, but we ended up doing what we needed to do to win,” Lehigh coach Fran Troyan said.
During the second game, after giving up a run in the first inning, Lehigh turned a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning, limiting Colgate’s lead to one.
Lehigh (24-8, 6-0 Patriot) got its chance to capture the lead after a single from senior outfielder Mackenzie Velasquez. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third inning, Colgate walked a batter to even the score 1-1. Calvini hit a two-RBI single, giving Lehigh a 3-1 lead.
“We knew we could come back from that (one run deficit),” Sorem said. “We had base runners on, and Calvini had been hitting really well. We had a lot of confidence in her.”
After the momentum switch in the second game, Lehigh was able to defend its lead. Campbell didn’t give up another Colgate hit for the remainder of the game.
“We did a good job of streaming our hits together today,” Campbell said. “We were able to score off of the hits we got, which really helped us out.”
The Mountain Hawks will host Manhattan College at Lehigh’s Leadership Park Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m. Campbell said the game plan will be to keep stringing hits together and sticking with solid defense, not allowing themselves to get into their own heads.
Lehigh is also looking ahead to its series against Army West Point (22-13) next weekend on the road.
“We are trying to get ready for the Army series coming up. This week we are going to give everyone the opportunities they need to step up,” Troyan said.
Senior outfielder MacKenzie Velasquez hits a pitch in the bottom of the second inning during Game 2 of a three-game series against Colgate University on Sunday, April 10, 2016, at Leadership Park. Velasquez's hit drove in the first run of the game for Lehigh and one of two RBI that she recorded during the game. (Erik Thomas/B&W Photo)
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