QU Softball Sweeps Sacred Heart in "Fight Against DIPG" Games

Tuesday, April 11

Hamden, Conn.

3PM

Quinnipiac University

15-17

Sacred Heart University

9-17

Sacred Heart

Quinnipiac

QU Softball Sweeps Sacred Heart in "Fight Against DIPG" Games

4/11/2017 10:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: QU Sports Information

HAMDEN, Conn. - The Quinnipiac softball team swept former NEC rival Sacred Heart, 1-0 and 4-0, in the "Fight Against DIPG" Games in honor of Danni Kemp at the QU Softball Field Tuesday evening.

Kemp, a native of Milford, Connecticut and student-athlete of Stony Brook University passed away last month due to her fight with DIPG. Quinnipiac held a moment of silence and a fundraiser in her honor. All proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated to DIPG research.

With the wins, Quinnipiac improved to 15-17 (3-3 MAAC), while Sacred Heart fell to 9-18.

Sarah Heimbach (Greenwich, New York) drove in the game's only run in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the 10th inning. Casey Herzog (Wappinger Falls, New York) threw the most innings in her career by going the full 10 in a complete-game, extra-inning shutout.

It was a pitcher's duel throughout the game, but Herzog ran into some trouble in the top of the third inning. After giving up a leadoff double, Sacred Heart sac-bunted the runner over to third with one out. The next batter dropped a bunt down as the runner from third ran towards home in a suicide-squeeze attempt. Herzog jumped out of the pitcher's circle, scooped up the ball and flipped it to Taylor Troyan (Boca Raton, Florida) in one motion and Troyan tagged the runner out at home to keep the game scoreless.

That would be the only trouble Herzog ran into, as she cruised in her 10-inning outing. Herzog only gave up five hits and struck out seven batters.

The Bobcats were able to get the win for Herzog in the bottom of the tenth, starting with Lexi Courtney (Scappoose, Oregon) hitting a leadoff single to left to start the inning. Erin Larsen (Kissimmee, Florida) sac-bunted Courtney to third, then Heimbach stepped to the plate after the next batter struck out. With two-outs and a runner on third, Heimbach dropped a single into right-centerfield, scoring Courtney to win game one, 1-0.

In game two, Abbey Long (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) pitched a complete-game shutout en route to a Bobcats win, with Keala Cordeiro (Huntington Beach, California), Rachel Marchuk (San Ramon, California) and Troyan providing run support.

Quinnipiac got on the board first after Rebecca Drake (Whiting, New Jersey) hit a one-out single down the left field line. Two batter later, Larsen drew a two-out walk, setting runners up on first and second with two outs as Troyan stepped to the plate. Troyan then lasered a single to centerfield, driving Drake in to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. Marchuk followed with a single to the shortstop, which scored Larsen to give Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead.

The Bobcats added two more runs in the second inning as well. Miranda Magana (Santa Paula, California) hit a two-out single to right, then Drake followed with a single to left. Cordeiro then came to the plate looking to bring her teammates home. Cordeiro took a wild-pitch, which advanced the runners to second and third, then she smacked a double to straightaway center, scoring Drake and Magana to secure Quinnipiac's 4-0 win.

Long cruised in the win, going the full seven innings, giving up no runs, five hit, while striking out three.

The Bobcats will be back in action on Wednesday, April 12, when they take on Yale in the second annual Chris's Game at Dewitt Family Field in New Haven at 4:00 p.m.