Quinnipiac University
NC Central
QU Softball's 20 Hits Not Enough To Hold Off NC Central
3/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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LYNCHBURG, Virginia – The Quinnipiac University softball team took a six run lead, but were unable to hold off the North Carolina Central Eagles in the last inning. The Bobcats fell to NCCU, 13-10 in the final game of the Liberty Classic. Quinnipiac captured a season high 20 hits in the game, but finished the weekend 1-4 at the tournament.
Five different Bobcats had multi-hit days on Sunday afternoon. Junior catcher Dani Edmands (Northborough, Massachusetts) had a career high four hits in five at bats with a triple and two runs scored. Third baseman Miranda Magana (Santa Paula, California) registered a career high in hits, going 4-for-5 from the plate while adding 3 RBI and a run scored. Nikki Barba (San Diego, California) raised her team-leading average to .404 with a 3-for-4 performance while senior Brittney Cyr (Southington, Connecticut) went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Starting pitcher Casey Herzog captured two hits in three at bats while adding 3 RBI and a run scored.
Herzog quickly picked up the first two outs with just four pitches, but got herself in a bit of trouble in the first inning. After retiring the leadoff batter with a fly out to right field, the second hitter was thrown out at first on a bunt attempt. With two outs, the third batter doubled to right center and came around to score when the clean-up hitter connected for a two-run shot over the left field wall.
Down 2-0, the Bobcats stole one back in their first at bats. Barba led off the inning with a walk and reached scoring position off a ground out from Cyr. Edmands sent Barba to third with a hit down the left field line and Magana's first single of the day scored Barba for the first Bobcat run of the afternoon.
Quinnipiac jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning off three singles and a sacrifice fly. Cyr led off the fourth with a single through the right side followed by a Hannah Lindsley (Narragansett, Rhode Island) bunt single to third base. Edmands moved the runners to second and third with a ground out and Magana's second hit brought home Cyr. With one out, Herzog hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Lindsley for the second run of the inning.
For three straight innings, Herzog kept NC Central off the board, but they tied the game at three with a run in the fifth inning. After scoring on a sacrifice fly, the Eagles loaded the bases off two singles and a walk to end Herzog's day on the mound. Tied 3-3, Lindsley came into to pitch and stuck out the first batter to leave three Eagles on base. Herzog pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs and seven hits against 22 batters.
Quinnipiac regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth with two runs. Edmands tripled down the right field line to lead off the inning and scored when Magana connected for her third single of the afternoon. An infield single by Sydney Robey (Glenmoore, Pennsylvannia) scored the second Bobcat run.
Down 5-3, the Eagles scored an unearned run off Lindsley after a single led to a throwing error. Now holding a slight one run lead, Quinnipiac put together its best offensive inning in the bottom of the sixth. The Bobcats scored four runs off five consecutive singles with no outs. Junior Katie Strong (South Windsor, Connecticut), Edmands and Magana loaded the bases to start the inning with three singles. Herzog singled home the first two batters and junior Abby Johnson (Chelmsford, Massachusetts) followed up with a single to score Magana and Herzog. Johnson came around to score a fifth run off a Robey sac fly to second base.
With a 10-4 lead heading into the last inning, the game seemed out of reach for NC Central, but the Eagles answered Quinnipiac with a big inning of their own. NC Central scored nine runs off seven hits and two errors. With bases loaded and no outs, outfielder Casey Hargett cleared the bases with a three run double to left field. Hargett came around to score off a single and throwing error to bring the score to 10-9. The Eagles loaded the bases for a second time and Herzog came back in to pitch for Lindsley. Two wild pitches pushed across two more runs and an error followed by a single brought home the final three runs.
Quinnipiac left two runners on in the bottom of the seventh and were unable to regain the lead against the Eagles. Lindsley took the loss for the Bobcats, pitching two innings and allowing eight runs – six unearned – off of eight hits and two walks. After her second stint on the mound, Herzog finished the day going five innings and allowing five runs – three earned – off eight hits and two wild pitches.
Quinnipiac will leave Virginia and begin a nine game home stand at the QU Softball Field in Hamden on Thursday, March 26 against UMass Lowell. The Bobcats will take on the River Hawks at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
