',
Live Blog from NCAA Tournament
May 12, 2012
Follow the Storm during every one of the NCAA regional tournament games by checking out this live blog, run by Sports Information Director John Boccacino.
On Saturday, No. 8 Keuka College played No. 3 Amherst College in an elimination game at Amherst (Mass.) College as part of the NCAA regional tournament.
Sophomore Jill Hart (Cowlesville, NY/Iroquois) belted a solo home run to lead off the top of the sixth, but it wasn’t enough as Amherst scored twice in the bottom of the inning to win, 2-1.
Amherst (36-5) advances to face top-seeded Cortland (40-9) at 10 a.m. Sunday morning in an elimination game while the season ends for the Storm (23-13).
Check out a replay of today’s blog from Keuka’s third NCAA regional contest below:
Top seventh: Keuka is down to its last three outs. Evangelista, Bandrowski and Disbrow are up for the Storm in the seventh…Evangelista strikes out looking, bringing Bandrowski to the plate. Bandrowski grounds out to shortstop, and Disbrow represents Keuka’s last hope. But there will not be another game for the Green and Gold as Disbrow strikes out swinging, ending a remarkable season for the Storm. This was Keuka’s sixth straight NEAC postseason title and sixth straight appearance in the NCAA regionals. Gravel takes the hard-luck loss after allowing two runs on six hits over six innings.
Bottom sixth: Silkowitz drops a perfect bunt in-between Gravel and Evangelista and beats the throw to first. Silkowitz moves to second on the play and advanced to third on a bunt single from Leet. Keuka is in trouble here with runners at the corners and no outs…A third straight successful bunt, this time from Horan, ties the game at 1-all. Amherst still has runners at first and second with no outs. Gravel gets Miller to groundout to Brown, but now there are runners at second and third and only one out. The Jeffs take their first lead of the game on Kelley’s sacrifice flyout to Smyder in right field. Keuka trails 2-1, two outs. Smyder then tracks down a fly ball in foul territory for the third out and the Storm is down to its final three outs…
Top sixth: Hart, the NEAC postseason MVP, wastes little time with her at-bat. She takes a first-pitch fastball and drills it off the top of the right field fence for a 1-0 Storm lead. Hart’s third HR of the season chases Kelley after five innings pitched, and Arielle Doering (11-2, 2.25 ERA in 25 appearances, 16 starts) enters in relief of Kelley. Brown drew another walk, but was forced out at second base on Smyder’s fielder’s choice. A strikeout ends the frame, but Keuka takes a lead in an NCAA regional game for the third time in three chances this year.
Bottom fifth: Gravel retired eight straight Jeffs until Bandrowski bobbled a hard-hit ball at shortstop, allowing Sealander to reach on the Storm’s first error in two games. But Bandrowski, the inaugural NEAC Rookie of the Year, gets an immediate shot at redemption when Amherst speedster Ayers slapped a grounder her way. Bandrowski cleanly fields the grounder and got Ayers out by a step at first, ending the fifth.
Top fifth: Just as quickly as Gravel made short-work of the Jeffs in the fourth, Kelley mows down the Storm in order in the fifth on back-t0-back groundouts and a line out to second base. Still scoreless entering the bottom of the fifth.
Bottom fourth: Gravel works quickly to record a 1-2-3 fourth. The crafty Gravel needed only seven pitches in the frame, getting a pop up to Proper, a comebacker and a groundout to Bandrowski.
Top fourth: After hard grounds out to the pitcher, Proper reaches on an infield single, giving the Green and Gold a runner at first with one out. Brown coaxes a walk to put runners on first and second, bringing Smyder to the plate. Smyder has hit safely in each of Keuka’s first two NCAA regional games at Amherst. Smyder struck out, but Gravel loaded the bases with a single into center field. The Storm would leave the bases loaded after Evangelista struck out…
Bottom third: Gravel allows a leadoff single to Ayers, but Ayers leaves first base early on a stolen base attempt and is called out. Gravel recovers to get back-to-back fly outs to Hart in left feld to send this scoreless game into the fourth.
Top third: Keuka’s bats are retired in order in the inning, on two fly outs and a pop out.
Bottom second: Gravel is dialed in against the Jeffs, getting six groundball outs in-between allowing a two-out single. We’re scoreless heading to the top of the third.
Top second: Promising start for the Storm. Proper rips a single into left field and Brown reaches on a bunt single. Smyder gives Keuka runners at second and third with one out for Gravel, yesterday’s hero…but Gravel strikes out and Evangelista pops out to end the threat.
Bottom first: This will be interesting to see how Keuka starter Danielle Gravel’s (Sidney, NY/Sidney) pitching hand is holding up after she was struck flush in the hand during Friday’s 5-4, nine-inning win over St. Joseph’s (Maine). So far, through one inning on the mound, Gravel appears to be fine. She worked around a two-out single and induced three harmless groundouts as we’re heading to the second scoreless.
Top first: Bandrowski leads off with a bloop single into left-center field and moves to second on a sacrifice bunt from Disbrow. But Bandrowski is stranded at second after a strikeout and a flyout.
Pre-game: Now here are the starters for the Storm:
Batting first, the shortstop, Jessica Bandrowski.
Batting second, center fielder Elly Disbrow
Batting third, the third baseman, Brooke Lovell
Batting fourth, the left fielder, Jill Hart
Batting fifth, the first baseman, Kelly Proper
Batting sixth, the second baseman, Terin Brown
Batting seventh, the right fielder, Brittany Smyder
Batting eighth, the starting pitcher, with a record of 18-5 and a 3.29 ERA, Danielle Gravel
Batting ninth, the catcher, Katie Evangelista.
The starters for Amherst College:
Leading off, the catcher, Kelsey Ayers
Batting second, the center fielder, Kaitlin Silkowitz
Batting third, the right fielder, Donna Leet
Batting fourth, the second baseman, Reilly Horan
Batting fifth, the third baseman, Carolyn Miller
Batting sixth, the pitcher, Theresa Kelley
Batting seventh, the shortstop, Carly Dudzik
Batting eighth, the left fielder, Idalia Friedson
Batting ninth, the designated hitter, Caroline Sealander
And in the flex position, the first baseman, Alyssa Sherwill
Kelly enters play with a 19-3 record and a 1.19 ERA in 29 appearances (20 starts)
