FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team split a pitcher-led doubleheader against Quinnipiac in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play on Friday at Pioneer Park.
Sam Kowalski threw a two-hit gem in the opener to secure a 1-0 victory, but the Bobcats got their revenge with a 2-0 win in the nightcap.
Team Records:
Sacred Heart (19-23, 9-10 MAAC)
Quinnipiac (17-23, 12-8 MAAC)
Game 1: SHU 1, QU 0
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 9 strikeouts, 11-11 record)
Sydney Horan (QU) - (L, 6.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, 14-15 record)
Top Performers:
Savannah Moore – 1-2, 1 RBI
Charlene Davis – 1-3, 1 run
Of Note:
After three straight 1-2-3 half innings, the Pioneers struck in the bottom of the second. Two consecutive one-out singles put runners on first and second before
Savannah Moore sent a single to center field to plate
Charlene Davis from second.
Moore's RBI proved to be the only one of the game as Kowalski was nearly unhittable in the opener. The junior did not allow a baserunner through her first 5.0 innings until QU led off the sixth with a single.
The Bobcats got their second hit in the seventh, making things tense as a single turned into a two-base hit following a SHU error. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third with one out, but two consecutive pop-outs ended the game to give the Pioneers a 1-0 win.
Kowalski threw all 7.0 innings in the opener, needing 79 pitchers to win her 11th game of the season. She struck out nine Bobcats.
Game 2: QU 2, SHU 0
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (L, 7.0 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 11-12 record)
Sydney Horan (QU) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 15-15 record)
Top Performers:
Sam Kowalski – 1-2
Morgan Teodosio – 1-2
Of Note:
Quinnipiac tied game-one's turnout with a pair of hits in the first inning of the nightcap, but Kowalski worked out of the jam in her second straight start to keep the game scoreless.
The bout stayed knotted at 0-0 through four innings until the Bobcats took the lead in the top of the fifth. A walk preceded a two-out double by QU to score the game's first run. Another walk and a single brought in the second run to give Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead.
Just like in the opener, scoring was limited to one-half inning. SHU threatened in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of two-out singles to break up a no-hitter and put runners on first and second. Unfortunately, QU got out of the jam unscathed to preserve the lead.
The Pioneers could not threaten for the remainder of the game, as they suffered a 2-0 loss for the doubleheader split.
Kowalski tallied her second complete-game showing in game two, allowing two earned on six hits. She finished with four more strikeouts, giving her 13 on the day.
Up Next:
Sacred Heart returns to Pioneer Park for the final time in 2025 on Sunday, Apr. 27, to conclude the series against Quinnipiac with a noon game. Before the rubber match, SHU will celebrate its Senior Day.
