East Carolina University
Northern Colorado
Softball Picks Up Another Win Sunday
March 06, 2011 | Softball
March 6, 2011
Northern Colorado Box Score | Northern Colorado Box Score in PDF Format 
TEMPE, Ariz. - East Carolina finished the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational with an 11-3 victory in five innings over Northern Colorado Sunday morning. Five players drove in runs and eight scored for the Pirates (16-5) as junior Faith Sutton recorded her fifth-straight win. Freshman Alex Fieldhouse and Jordan Lewis each went 2-2 with two RBI and two runs scored. ECU has won 12 of its last 13 and 14 of its last 16 games.
Sutton (5-2) threw four innings, allowing three hits and three runs, none earned, and struck out six. Senior Toni Paisley came in for the final inning and fanned two. Northern Colorado's Jamie Juelfs (0-6) lasted one inning, giving up five hits and five runs, one earned. Megan Wilkinson went the next two innings, surrendering three runs, two earned, on five hits. Kelli Henderson threw the final two frames, allowing three runs, one earned, and four hits.
The Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first with all the runs being scored with two outs. Freshman Kristi Oshiro reached on an error by the shortstop and classmate Rebecca Lee followed with a single to the left side of the infield to start the inning. A pair of groundouts followed before Fieldhouse singled to center, driving in Oshiro and Lee. Lewis then hit the first pitch she saw deep over the wall in right center for her second career home run. After a single through the left side by sophomore Kai Clark, a groundout closed the inning.
East Carolina tacked on one more run in the top of the second to make it 5-0. Freshman Mahrisch Medina led off with a double down the left-field line, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on an illegal pitch. Lee drew a one-out walk but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by junior Suzanne Riggs. Senior Sissy Jimenez hit a two-out single into right, but Riggs was thrown out at the plate by the right fielder to end the threat.
In the top of the third, the Pirates added three more for an 8-0 lead. Fieldhouse led off with a single to left center and moved to third on a double just inside the third-base line by Lewis. Clark cleared the bases with a double over the head of the center fielder for a 7-0 edge. A passed ball moved Clark to third and she came home on a single to left by sophomore Cicely Lopez before the next three batters were retired in order.
Northern Colorado (1-13) tallied its first base runner of the contest in the bottom of the third as Wilkinson led off with a single up the middle. After a strikeout and pop out, Wilkinson stole second, but was left stranded as another whiff ended the inning.
ECU put its ninth run on the board in the top of the fourth. Freshman Jasmine Robbins led off with a single to left and Jimenez followed beating out a grounder for a single. Robbins went to third and Jimenez to second on a passed ball before a groundout and strikeout. Freshman Abby Wynne hit a grounder to the third baseman, but the throw short hopped the first baseman. Wynne was safe at first on the play and Robbins scored. A groundout by Lopez closed the frame.
The Bears got three runs back in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to 9-3. Lindsey Worth reached on a catcher's interference call to open the inning. Sutton responded by inducing a strikeout and fly out. With two outs, Henderson sent a hard line drive up the middle that hit Sutton squarely in the shin, putting runners on the corners. Alex Neely then hit a three-run home run to left. Sutton ended the inning catching a liner up the middle.
The Pirates responded in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs for the 11-3 final. Medina was hit by a pitch to start the inning and stole second base. Freshman Chelsea Kaluhiokalani-Glackin dropped a short ball into left and raced to second on the play as nobody was covering the bag. Freshman Jill Jelnick delivered Medina with a single to right for a 10-3 advantage. A strikeout and fielder's choice left runners on the corners with two down for junior Priscilla Velasquez, who hit a line drive that the left fielder dropped, bringing in Jelnick. A strikeout was the third out.
Paisley entered for the bottom of the fifth and retired Northern Colorado on a groundout and pair of strikeouts.
ECU returns to the east coast for a doubleheader at Maryland (6-7) Wednesday. The twin bill is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. The next day, ECU hosts Maine (7-11) for a 5:00 p.m. single contest in the final tuneup before Conference USA action begins March 12-13 with Memphis.
