QU Softball's Postseason Run Ends with 8-7 MAAC Semifinal Loss to Monmouth

Saturday, May 14

Softball Park - Poughkeepsie, NY

9:30 AM

Quinnipiac University

28-29

Monmouth University

29-20

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Quinnipiac	1	0	4	0	1	1	0	0	7	10	4
Monmouth	0	4	2	0	1	0	0	1	8	12	4

QU Softball's Postseason Run Ends with 8-7 MAAC Semifinal Loss to Monmouth

5/14/2016 1:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Maria Ascher and Erin Larsen Both Connect On Home Runs In The Third

By: QU Sports Information

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Quinnipiac softball team's impressive MAAC Tournament run came to a heart-breaking end in the semifinal against Monmouth on Saturday morning as the Bobcats fell, 8-7 in extra innings.

With the result, Quinnipiac concluded the year with a 28-29 overall record, their most wins since 2012 when they went 32-18. The Bobcats finished the season with a 7-3 record in their last ten games after going 5-1 over the final weekend of the regular season to clinch the six seed and their first ever MAAC Tournament berth.

Quinnipiac tallied a tournament-high 10 hits and seven runs in the semifinal, but could not recover from four errors and four unearned runs.

Maria Ascher (Little Canada, Minnesota) led the offense with a season-best performance at the plate, going 3-for-4 in the game with a solo home run. She was the only Bobcat to record three hits in a MAAC Tournament game, which also marked her first such game of the season.

Both Dani Edmands (Northborough, Massachusetts) and Casey Herzog (Wappingers Falls, New York) went 2-for-4 in the contest while Edmands added an RBI.

Erin Larsen (Orlando, Florida) added a second Bobcat home run, giving Quinnipiac a short-lived lead on a three-run shot in the third.

Sydney Robey (Glenmoore, Pennsylvania) received the start for the Bobcats in the circle, allowing two earned runs and six hits over three innings pitched. Herzog closed out the game and took the loss after also giving up two earned runs and six hits over the last four and two thirds of an inning. The Hawks snapped Herzog's 21.2 scoreless innings streak with a home run in the fifth.

The MAAC Semifinal began yesterday, May 13 but was halted in the top of the first inning due to inclement weather. Sarah Heimbach (Greenwich, New York) led off the game yesterday with a four-pitch walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Abby Johnson (Chelmsford, Massachusetts). The game was then called after Heimbach reached third on a pass ball.

When the game resumed early Saturday morning, the Bobcats quickly took advantage of starting the day with a runner in scoring position. Quinnipiac opened up a 1-0 lead when Heimbach crossed the plate on a wild pitch, the second of the inning.

In the bottom of the second, the Hawks scored four unearned runs to capture a 4-1 advantage. After a single and walk to begin the frame, Monmouth loaded the bases on Quinnipiac's first error of the inning. Miranda Magana (Santa Paula, California) then threw out a runner at home to give the Bobcats their first out. With the bases still loaded, two of the next three batters reached base on throwing errors by the Bobcat infield, leading to four unearned runs for Monmouth.

The Bobcats answered in the third with four runs of their own to regain a one-run lead. Quinnipiac tallied two home runs in the same inning for the first time all season. Ascher led off the frame with her second homer of the year and the first ever Bobcat home run of the MAAC Tournament. Heimbach then walked and advanced to second on a seeing-eye single to left center field by Magana. Larsen stepped into the box and gave QU a 5-4 advantage with a three-run shot to left field. The home run marked the second of the freshman's young career.

Quinnipiac could not hold the lead for long as Monmouth rebounded in the bottom of the inning on a two-run home run to right field that gave the Hawks a 6-5 lead.

A great piece of base running by Robey tied the game for a second time, in the top of the fifth. With a full count, Robey drew a two-out walk for the Bobcats. Edmands stepped into the box and connected on a single up the middle as Robey came all the way around from first base to score QU's sixth run of the morning.

A Monmouth solo home run in the bottom half of the inning marked the fourth lead change of the game. The Hawks captured a 7-6 advantage on the fifth home run of the day and the third for Monmouth.

The Bobcats continued to fight with a wild inning in the sixth that led to another run and a 7-7 score. Herzog got things going with a leadoff single through the left side, advancing to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. Freshman Sydney Dennis (Kingwood, Texas) came in to pitch run and was quickly pushed to third.

Quinnipiac put runners on the corners after Johnson reached base on a sacrifice bunt followed by another fielding error. Dennis then came around to tie the semifinal at 7-7 after Monmouth's third miscue of the inning on a ground ball to shortstop.

Monmouth threatened to end the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Herzog got herself out of a jam to send the game into extras. After a one-out walk, the runner advanced to second on a wild pitch. Herzog then came through with a huge four pitch strikeout. A second wild pitch put a Hawk just sixty feet away from a trip to the MAAC Championship, but Herzog got the batter to foul out to Edmands behind the plate for the third out of the frame.

Quinnipiac had runners reach scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings but could not cross a run. In their last at bats, Asher led off the frame with a base hit to left center and quickly stole second base. Monmouth then recorded three straight outs to end the inning and leave a Bobcat stranded.

The Hawks earned the right to play Marist in the title game after a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth. Monmouth With two outs, two consecutive singles put runners at the corners for Monmouth. The next batter connected on a single to right and the winning run just barely beat a perfect throw from Heimbach.