Purdue Fort Wayne
UMKC
Mastodons Walk Off With 1-0 Victory over UMKC
4/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 3, 2009
Fort Wayne, IN – IPFW sophomore Sarah Swanson took an 0-2, two-out pitch to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Heather Genovese for the winning run, as the Mastodons won in walk-off fashion on Friday afternoon in the first game of a weekend three-game series by a 1-0 score.
The game was a pitcher’s duel throughout, as IPFW’s Courtney Cronin scattered seven hits while striking out a career-high-tying nine, as UMKC’s Samantha Hurst struck out a dozen while giving up five hits, however, walking four, and allowing the game’s only run.
UMKC (7-26, 2-11 Summit League) threatened early in the game, putting runners on the corners with just one out in the top of the first inning, before Cronin retired the next two batters via strikeout, ending the threat.
The Kangaroos put a runner on third base in the top of the second inning via a fielding error, sacrifice hit, and a stolen base, before Cronin again ended the frame with a swinging strikeout.
 Courtney Cronin pitched her fourth shutout of the season, improving her record to 7-3 on the season  |
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IPFW (11-14, 6-3 Summit), which has now won their last five Summit League contests, got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the third inning when Kaylee Faurote reached with a single to left field, pushing her hitting streak to 11, tied for the second longest hitting streak for the Mastodons since they joined Division I in 2002. Faurote, however, was stranded after an inning-ending strikeout by Hurst.
In the fourth and fifth innings, UMKC put a runner on second base, however, each time Cronin and the Mastodon defense got out of trouble, in the fourth inning on a groundout to Ava Hall at third base, and in the fifth on yet another swinging strikeout.
Cronin set the Kangaroos down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, setting the stage for the walk-off win.
The big inning started very inconspicuously, as the first two batters popped out and struck out, respectively, before Genovese drew a two-out walk. Hall singled for the second time in the game, before Faurote walked to load the bases.
Swanson took the 0-2 pitch into short left center field, just over the second baseman’s head, allowing Genovese to score the winning run, the third straight Summit League shutout for the ‘Dons.
Hall went 2-for-3 on the day, while Faurote, Swanson, and Rachel Staschuk each reached base via hit. All four walks in the game were to Mastodon batters, as Faurote, Swanson, Staschuk and Genovese each all reached via a free pass, with Genovese reaching a second time in the game as she was hit by a pitch in the third inning.
Cronin improved to 7-3 on the season, as she struck out nine, walked none, and picked up her fourth shutout of the season, a new single-season record for an IPFW pitcher.
Danielle Bennefeld went 2-for-3 in the losing effort for UMKC, as Hurst gave up just five hits and struck out the 12, but walked four, and hit another with a pitch, dropping her season record to 3-12 this year.
The teams meet up again tomorrow for two more games, with the first pitch of the opener set for 12:00 PM at the IPFW Softball Field.
~Dons~
