Trio of Longballs and Cronin Shutout Help IPFW Avoid Series Sweep

Saturday, April 30

Rochester, Mich.

12:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

26-12-1, 14-7

Oakland

14-27, 7-14

IPFW

Oakland

Courtney Cronin threw her 22nd career shutout, helping the Mastodons avoid the series sweep

Trio of Longballs and Cronin Shutout Help IPFW Avoid Series Sweep

4/30/2011 1:38:03 PM | Softball

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Rochester, MI - A five-inning shutout by pitcher Courtney Cronin, and three home runs, one each from Sara Hopwood, Rachel Staschuk, and Kristina Karpun, helped the IPFW Mastodons avoid a series sweep at the hands of the Oakland Grizzlies by a 9-0 score on Saturday afternoon.

Cronin went the entire five innings, carrying a no-hitter through the first four and a third inning of the game before surrendering an infield single, striking out six and scattering just three hits in the contest. Three players, Staschuk, Ashleigh Bousquet, and Kirsten Rohn each had two hits, Staschuk on four at-bats and the remaining two on three at-bats, while Staschuk and Cronin each scored twice.

After being held to just a combined three runs in the two games a day ago against Oakland, the Mastodons erupted for four runs in the top of the first inning, as the Mastodons got a leadoff single from Staschuk, before Sarah Swanson walked a batter later. Ashleigh Bousquet followed with a single to load the bases before Cronin singled into left field, scoring Staschuk, with a fielding error by the Grizzly left fielder allowing Swanson to score, pushing IPFW to a 2-0 lead.

With runners on second and third because of the error, Karpun reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, before all three runners advanced on an illegal pitch, scoring Bousquet. Two outs later, Kirsten Rohn singled to left field, scoring Cronin and pushing the Mastodons to a 4-0 lead after the first inning.

In the third inning IPFW got a leadoff home run from Hopwood, before Alex Bousquet hit a two-out double. Staschuk followed with a home run to right field, her seventh longball of the season, staking the 'Dons to a 7-0 lead.

A one-out, two-run homer from Karpun, scoring herself and Cronin, provided the contest's final scores of the game.

The Golden Grizzlies threatened to score on the bottom of the fifth inning, loading the bases on a pair of singles and an error; however, the Cronin and the Mastodon defense tightened, getting a forceout at the plate, an infield flyout, and a groundout to second base kept the shutout intact for the junior.

The shutout is the sixth shutout of the season and 22nd in her career, tied for the fifth-most in Summit League history, while improving her record to 17-7 on the year, the second most single-season victories in school history. Alison Tansel picked up the loss for Oakland, pitching three and two-thirds on an inning, striking out one and allowing five earned runs.

The Mastodons take the week of for final exams, before returning to the field on Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8 for a regular-season-ending series against the Jaguars of IUPUI at the IPFW Softball Field.

~Dons~