May 1, 2004

2004 Patriot League Softball Championship Boxscores
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Lehigh and Army softball teams advanced to the Patriot League Championship game after posting two victories each Saturday. The squads will meet at Lehigh's Kaufman Field Sunday at 9 a.m. The Championship game were originally slated for 1 p.m., but due to weather concerns, the time was pushed up to 9 a.m. If the Black Knights win the opener, they will force a deciding game at 11 a.m.

The Mountain Hawks, who are the top seed, enter the final through the winner's bracket after shutout victories over Bucknell, 5-0, and Army, 1-0. The Black Knights fought their way through the loser's bracket with two victories over Colgate, 2-1 in 10 innings and 5-2.

Lehigh 5, Bucknell 0
In the first contest of the day, the top-seeded Mountain Hawks registered a 5-0 victory over fourth-seeded Bucknell.

Lehigh took the early lead, scoring a run in the home-half of the first inning when Jessica Young doubled-in Shana Treon, who had singled to open the game. The Mountain Hawks added to its lead with a pair of runs in the second frame thanks to a RBI single by Whitney Schenbeck. LU's final two runs came in the fifth when Mary Wieder and Elizabeth Gripp scored.

Junior Emily Ling, who is returning from an injury, was rusty in the first inning. She hit Jen James to open the game and gave up a single to Lauren Wible later in the frame. After shaking off the cobwebs, Ling dominated, setting down the next 19 batters en route to a complete-game one-hitter.

Army 2, Colgate 1 (10 innings)
Third-seeded Colgate jumped out to the early lead, but is was second-seeded Army late-inning heroics that gave the Black Knights a 2-1 win in 10 innings.

The Raiders got on the board first with a home run by Dorothy Donaldson to center field to lead-off in the second innings. The bombs was Donaldson's 13th this season and 34th of her career.

The game remained at 1-0 until the bottom of the seventh when third baseman Darcy Wilson ripped a home run of her own over the left field fence. The Black Knights claimed the win on an RBI single by Lauren Gobar, who knocked in Nikki Posey. Posey had reached base on an error by Kim Olmstead.

Colgate left 11 runs on base, including seven in scoring position, on the game.

Colgate 3, Bucknell 1
In the first elimination game of the day, Colgate bounced back from a heartbreaking loss to earn a 3-1 victory over Bucknell to send the Bison home.

The Bison struck first with Lauren Litts home run in the bottom of the second inning. Colgate responded with a run of their own in the top of the third after an Olmstead RBI single. The Raiders took the lead when Kate Howard opened the fifth with a triple and came in to score on a Rachel Smith single. CU tacked on insurance runs in the sixth to get to the final margin.

Olmstead and Nichole Rawson had two hits each for Colgate in the game, while Angela Stackhouse had a pair of rips for BU. The Bison end the season with a 14-26 overall record and 8-12 mark in League play.

Lehigh 1, Army 0
In the pitcher's dual of the day, Lehigh's Heather Hamasaki got the best of Army's Leigh Harrell in the 1-0 contest. Both pitchers had terrific outings with a complete-game two-hitter from Hamasaki, who did not allow a hit until sixth, and a four-hitter from Harrell.

The only run of the game came in the top of the second when Wieder, who had two of Lehigh's four hits, led off with a single, advanced on a passed ball and an error and came into score on a single by Kelly Kleiwer.

Hamasaki fanned five and earned her fourth shutout of the season, while Harrell scattered four hits and a walk in her 10th loss this season.

Army 5, Colgate 2
Army eliminated Colgate from post-season contention with a 5-2 decision over the Raiders.

The Black Knights got out of the gates early with two runs in the opening inning thanks to some savvy base running. Gobar doubled to lead off the game and came around to score on a single by Lindsay March, who advanced to second on the throw home. March crossed the plate thanks to a single by Wilson two batters later.

Army added two more in the third frame when Wilson and Veronica Lauzon scored. Colgate cut the deficit in half thanks to a two-run homer by Donaldson in the bottom of the fourth, but were unable to get a run across with the bases loaded in the sixth with one out.

Wilson had the hot bat for Army with two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Harrell pitched 5.2 innings, scattering five hits and giving up two runs.

Colgate's season comes to an end with a 34-17 overall mark and an 11-7 League record.