Bloomsburg Downs Concordia at NCAA Championships
SALEM, VA—Dee Wolfe (Milton/Milton) hit a three-run homer and pitcher Amanda Smith (Sandy Ridge-Philipsburg-Osceola) tossed a four-hitter to lead the Bloomsburg University softball team to a 3-0 win over Concordia University (MN) in the opening game of the 2005 NCAA softball championships in Salem, VA.
The Huskies (45-8) advance to the quarterfinals on Friday at 5 p.m. against the winner of the San Francisco State-Lynn University game.
Things started slowly for the Huskies as Concordia opened the top of the first by loading the bases with one out against Smith. However, the senior bore down and fanned the next two batters to end the threat for Concordia.
Bloomsburg went down in order in the top of the first and left Sara Roba (Emmaus/Emmaus) stranded in the bottom of the second inning.
Meanwhile, Smith retired the side in both the second and third innings on a total of seven pitches.
In the bottom of the third, with one out, Jill Homyak (Lehighton/Marian Catholic) reached via a bunt single and went to second on a single by Amanda Breon (Bellefonte/Bellefonte). After Kelly Zarski (Danville/Danville) struck out, Wolfe hit a long home run to left field giving the Huskies a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Bloomsburg threatened again getting runners on second and third with one out. However, Concordia pitcher Kristen Schmidt got the final two outs of the inning keeping the game at 3-0.
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Concordia did get one runner on base in each of the final three innings, but Smith did not allow any runners to reach second and got a ground out to Laurel Koster (Whitney Point, NY/Cicero North) at third base to end the game.
Smith talked after the game about her first inning troubles.
“The first inning was just a bump in the road during the game,” said Smith. “Once I got settled down, things got going for us. It is just nice to get that first win out of the way.”
Jan Hutchinson was equally happy to get win number one out of the way.
“We made a few mistakes today, but we were able to overcome them,” said Hutchinson. “It is quite an accomplishment to hold one of the top eight teams in the country to no runs. I am just glad we got that first win.”
Smith, now 18-3 overall and 6-0 in the post-season, struckout seven and walked two. Wolfe, now batting .451 in the post-season, leads Bloomsburg with nine post-season RBI.