Mastodons Top Hawkeyes, Gauchos, in DeMarini Tournament

Saturday, March 5

Fullerton, Calif.

12:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

5-2-1

UC Santa Barbara

10-6

IPFW

UC Santa Barbara

Courtney Cronin threw her fourth shutout of the season over the Iowa Hawkeyes

Mastodons Top Hawkeyes, Gauchos, in DeMarini Tournament

3/5/2011 7:54:41 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BOX SCORE vs. UC SANTA BARBARA | BOX SCORE vs. IOWA

Fullerton, CA - The IPFW softball team improved to 6-2-1 on the young season with a sweep of opponents at the 2011 DeMarini Invitational. The Mastodons topped the UC Santa Barbara Gouchos by a 6-2 score in the day opener for the 'Dons, before coming back and posting a 4-0 shutout win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Courtney Cronin, the defending Summit League Pitcher of the Year, went a complete game in each, including pitching a two-hit shutout over the Big Ten's Hawkeyes.

In the win over UCSB, IPFW staked itself to a 3-0 lead after two and a half innings when Cassie Wolfe doubled in Ashleigh Bousquet with a double in the second inning, before Cronin singled in Sarah Swanson, and Ashleigh Bousquet followed with a RBI single, scoring Kristina Karpun.

The Gouchos answered with an unerned run in the bottom of the third inning, before IPFW tacked on three in the top of the fourth, the first on an infield single by Brittany Kachur that chased home Alex Bousquet, before Karpun doubled home Kachur and Swanson, pushing IPFW to a 6-1 advantage.

An RBI single by UCSB cut the deficit to four, but that would be as close as the Gouchos would come, as Cronin closed the door on the game with a popout to the catcher by the UCSB second baseman.

Ashleigh Bousquet went 2-for-3 on the day, as Karpun and Wolfe each went 2-for-4. Karpun drove in a pair, as Swanson scored twice. Cronin went the entire seven innings, scattering five hits and giving up one earned run while striking out six and walking two.

Cronin followed up her first victory of the day with a dominating performance against Iowa, improving the junior's record to 5-1 on the young season. She allowed just two hits, while striking out four and walking three in the game.

The Mastodons took to the scoreboard first in the game when Karpun hit a bases-loaded single, scoring Swanson. The Cronin no-hit bid was snapped with the first batter of the fourth inning, but would later be thrown out at third base attempting to steal.

Iowa threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning when the Hawkeyes loaded the bases with two outs in the frame, before Cronin forced a pop-out to the shortstop, ending the scoring attempt.

After getting out of trouble in the bottom of the sixth, the IPFW offense came alive, starting with a solo home run by Wolfe, her team leading second of the season. After an error, an infield single, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, they were each sent home on a Rachel Staschuk double down the right field line, giving IPFW a 4-0 lead.

A pop-out, pop-out, and ground-out ended any comeback attempt for the Hawkeyes, giving Cronin her fourth shutout of the season, and 20th of her career, good for sixth on the career list in Summit League history.

Staschuk was 2-for-4 with two RBI's in the nightcap, with Karpun and Wolfe each driving in one, as each of the four runs was scored by a different Mastodon player.

The 'Dons face off against Northwestern in the team's final game of the Invitational at 2:15 PM on Sunday.

~Dons~