Softball sweeps, ties NCAA home run record

Softball sweeps, ties NCAA home run record

By Jacob Nadeau, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac Bobcats (15-9, 4-2 NEC) swept the Sacred Heart Pioneers (10-18, 3-3 NEC) 12- 7 and 5-4 during their home opener Sunday afternoon.  

The Bobcats were led by junior first baseman Jacquie Ristow (Seal Beach, Calif.) who went 5-for-7 over the two games with two runs and three runs batted in.

Quinnipiac’s offense lit up, scoring 17 runs on 20 hits over the two games. This number lies in stark opposition to the one run on four hits Quinnipiac scored in its previous two games against Massachusetts and Monmouth.   Over the course of the two games, the two teams combined to score 28 runs on 34 hits with eight home runs.

Quinnipiac jumped out to an early lead in the first game, scoring eight runs in the first inning. The rally started when Quinnipiac’s leading hitter Alex Alba (Sylmar, Calif.) knocked a ball over the fence for a three-run shot that brought in Christy Cabrera (West Sacramento, Calif.) and Ristow who had reached on a walk and an infield hit. It was Alba’s third home run of the year.

Alba’s homerun was followed by solo shots from Mina Duffy (Piedmont, Calif.), Katie Alfiere (Beacon Falls, Conn.) and Nikki Barba (San Diego, Calif.). The four straight blasts tied the NCAA record for consecutive home runs. This put Quinnipiac up 6-0 with no outs in the first inning and also marked the end of Nicole Sidor’s time on the mound for Sacred Heart. Sidor was replaced by Liz Tsipouras who managed to get two immediate outs as Kortney Kesses (Woodbridge, Conn.) popped out to center and Bridget Figmic (Stratford, Conn.) struck out looking. Nonetheless, Quinnipiac managed to tack on two more runs before the inning was over when Ristow knocked in Lauren Salgado (Covina, Calif.) and Cabrera, putting Quinnipiac up 8-0 going into the second.

Quinnipiac was not done either. In the bottom of the second Barba sent a ball out of the park for her second home run of the afternoon. Two batters later, Figmic muscled one out making her the fifth Bobcat player to homer in the game and giving Quinnipiac a 10 run lead.

Sacred Heart answered back in the third inning when Sidor hit a double and was brought around to score by Annie Dreher. Then pitcher Tsipouras knocked out at three run home run that brought Jade Bowins and Dreher around to score, closing the game to 10-4 going into the bottom of the third.

Sacred Heart continued to get runs from the bottom of its lineup.  Justine Sibthorp took a base on balls to start the inning and advanced to second on a Nikki Surkes single. Alyssa Garza hit a double that brought Sibthorp around to score and advanced Surkes to third. Garza and Surkes scored off a base hit by Dreher, giving her three RBIs on the day. Quinnipiac held the 10-7 advantage going into the bottom of the forth.

Quinnipiac added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning when Ristow knocked in Cabrera and Salgado on a double.

The win was awarded to Alfiere who improves to 4-2 on the year while Sidor drops to 7-9.

Quinnipiac scored jump-started the second game when lead-off batter Cabrera reached first base on a walk and advanced to second off a sacrifice bunt from Ristow. Duffy knocked in Cabrera to put Quinnipiac up 1-0.

Sacred Heart gained its first lead of the day when third baseman Kate Nalder nailed a three-run homer, putting the Pioneers up 3-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

Quinnipiac answered right back when Alba sent Ristow home on an RBI single. The one run deficit was quickly erased when Duffy hit a three-run shot, knocking in Ristow and Alba Putting Quinnipiac up 5-3.

Sacred Heart would add one more run before the game ended but that wouldn’t be enough and Quinnipiac came out on top 5-4.

Quinnipiac continues play at home when it takes on Fairfield in a non-conference match-up on Wednesday, April 4 at 3:30 p.m. at the QU Softball Field. The Bobcats will then travel for two NEC doubleheaders at LIU Brooklyn on Friday, April 6 and Central Connecticut State on Saturday, April 7.