QU Softball Drops Doubleheader to Lehigh and Northwestern

Friday, March 18

Clearwater, FL

2:15 PM

Quinnipiac University

6-10

Lehigh University

14-5

Lehigh

Quinnipiac

QU Softball Drops Doubleheader to Lehigh and Northwestern

3/18/2016 6:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Sarah Heimbach and Miranda Magana Record Multi-Hit Games

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Quinnipiac softball team was swept in a doubleheader on the first day of the USF Spring Break Tournament. The Bobcats fell to Lehigh, 4-0 before dropping a contest against Northwestern, 10-0. Sophomore Miranda Magana (Santa Paula, California) and freshman Sarah Heimbach (Greenwich, New York) each had a multi-hit game on Saturday.

Against Lehigh, Heimbach recorded the only two hits of the game, going 2-for-2 with a walk. Magana did her damage in the second game against Northwestern going 2-for-2 with a double.

Sophomore Casey Herzog (Wappingers Falls, New York) got the start on the mound for Quinnipiac in the first game, allowing just seven hits and three earned runs over six innings, but the Bobcats' offense was held down by the dominant pitching of Emily Sorem. Sorem improved to 7-2 on the season and lowered her ERA to 2.80 after picking up the complete game win.

After three scoreless innings, the Mountain Hawks scored an unearned run and took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. With one out, Lehigh captured their only walk of the game and advanced the lead runner to second with a base hit. The following batter hit into a fielder's choice, but a run came around to score on an error by the Bobcat infield.

Lehigh scored a second run in the fifth off two singles before a two-run homerun in the sixth inning gave them a 4-0 advantage.

The Bobcats threatened to take a lead in the first inning, but could not cross a run against the Northwestern defense. After Heimbach was hit by a pitch, she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Sydney Dennis (Kingwood, Texas). Senior Dani Edmands (Northborough, Massachusetts) then reached first and pushed Heimbach to third on an error by the Wildcat infield. Erin Larsen (Orlando, Florida) stepped into the box and laid down a squeeze bunt to third, but Heimbach was thrown out at the plate.

Quinnipiac again threatened in the second inning with another runner reaching third base. Magana led off the frame with a double to left field and advanced to third on a ground ball out. Northwestern recorded the next two outs to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead in the second without recording a hit. Northwestern led off the inning with consecutive walks to put runners on first and second. The lead runner then advanced to third after a caught bunt and throwing error by the Bobcats. A fielder's choice scored the first run before the second runner stole home.

Northwestern then captured three more runs in the third off three hits, two walks and a hit batter. With bases loaded, Northwestern scored three straight runs with a walk, sacrifice fly and single up the middle.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 10-0 in the top of the fourth. NU recorded five runs off four singles and two errors by Quinnipiac's infield. Northwestern held the Bobcats scoreless in the next inning to capture the win after five innings.

The Bobcats continue the USF Spring Break Tournament with another doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 19. Quinnipiac will play UMass Lowell at 9:30 a.m. before taking on Florida A&M at 11:15 a.m. in Clearwater, Florida.