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Keuka Ends Season with One-Run Loss
July 18, 2008
The Keuka softball team had its magical 2008 season come to an end after falling 4-3 to the Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State in its second game of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. The Storm end the year with a 23-9 overall record. Eastern Connecticut State, which has won the national championship five times, improves to 27-13 and will face the winner of the Montclair State vs. Springfield game at 4 pm today.
For the second game in a row Keuka scored in the top of the first. Senior shortstop Amanda Witter (Hornell, N.Y./Hornell) led off the game with a single and was followed by a Denise Bilbow (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) sac bunt in which she reached safely. Rookie Morgan Engelbert (Elmira Heights, N.Y./Thomas Edison) then laid down another sac bunt that ECS threw over the first basemen’s head to allow two runs to score. A nice diving catch by the Warriors centerfielder limited the damage to just two runs for the Storm.
Senior ace Jen Shaughnessy (LeRoy, N.Y./LeRoy) then worked an almost perfect bottom of the first, allowing just a walk. Keuka was then held scoreless in the top of the second, while Eastern Connecticut State cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second. The Warriors leadoff hitter reached on an error and was followed by a base hit up the middle. After a sac bunt, Keuka committed another error allowing an unearned run to cross the plate.
Shaughnessy pitched out of trouble in the bottom of the third, stranding two runners. ECS had another runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth but a nice catch by Engelbert up against the centerfield fence ended that rally and preserved Keuka’s 2-1 lead.
The Storm threatened in the top of the fifth loading the bases on two hits and a walk with just one out. Keuka was unable to plate a run after a groundout and a strikeout. In the bottom half of the fifth, the Warrior bats woke up, belting four hits including two doubles and a triple. ECS plated three runs to go ahead 4-2.
Keuka quickly answered with a run in the top of the sixth after Shaughnessy clubbed a double and was drove in by a Jessica VanScoter (Canisteo, N.Y./Canisteo-Greenwood) single.
Down to its last three outs in the top of the seventh, Keuka’s Kate Kraus (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) worked a lead-off walk and was bunted over to second perfectly by classmate Liz Ripp (Glenfield, N.Y./South Lewis). The Storm then lined out and popped up to end the game.
Keuka finished with five hits while ECS ended with eight. Shaughnessy falls to 12-6 on the year after tossing her 13th complete game while striking out one.
