FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team braved the cold East Coast weather Sunday afternoon to pick up a 7-1 home victory over Fordham at Pioneer Park.
With the win, SHU improves to 2-4 on the year following its season-opening trip to North Carolina. The Pioneers tallied season highs with eight hits and seven runs.
Team Records
Sacred Heart (2-4)
Fordham (4-7)
SHU 7, FOR 1
Pitchers:
Emily Heath (SHU) - (2.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 3 strikeouts)
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (W, 5.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 7 strikeouts, 1-2 record)
Bailey Enoch (FOR) - (L, 2.0 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 1 strikeout, 0-2 record)
Allison Hoppe (FOR) - (4.0 innings pitched, 0 earned run, 2 strikeouts)
Top Performers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) – 2-3, 1 run, 1 walk
Carly Koltko (SHU) – 1-4, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run
Charlene Davis (SHU) – 1-1, 2 RBIs, 1 double
Of Note:
Sacred Heart opened the game's scoring in the bottom of the first by taking a 3-0 lead early. Following a leadoff walk and sac bunt,
Emily Carroll plated
Jenna Mowad from second with a single to center.
Carly Koltko made it a 3-0 game with a two-run blast to left center. Koltko's homer is the first of her junior season and the sixth of her career.
Fordham hung a run on the scoreboard in the top of the second before SHU rebuilt its advantage with a two-run third. Following back-to-back singles to start the frame, two straight walks brought in a run to make it a 4-1 SHU lead. After a fielder's choice in the next at-bat,
Cierra Bender worked a bases-loaded walk to make it a 5-1 game.
The Pioneers extended their advantage to 7-1 in the fourth on a two-RBI double from
Charlene Davis. The sophomore catcher fired a rocket into left field that got over the head of the fielder and allowed
Sam Kowalski and
Nicole Henke to score from second and third, respectively. Davis has tallied a team-leading five RBIs this season.
Sacred Heart's pitching didn't miss a beat with a six-run advantage, holding the Rams to just two hits.
Emily Heath started and went 2.0 innings, while Kowalski pitched the final 5.0 frames, picking up her first win of the season after striking out seven without allowing a hit.
Up Next
Sacred Heart hits the field again on Friday, March 1, to play St. Bonaventure in the Spring Games, hosted in Madeira Beach, Fla.
