Feb. 22, 2008
Stats
Knoxville, TN - The Wagner College softball team was upended this afternoon at the Tennessee Classic in their season opener by the Cougars of Brigham Young University, 10-0 in five innings. The Seahawks now stand 0-1 overall on the fresh season while BYU snaps a three-game losing streak and moves to 8-5.
With freshman hurler Heather Ochoa (Los Angeles, CA/Notre Dame Academy) taking the hill to start the game for the Seahawks in her first ever collegiate game the Cougars took advantage of an error and five hits in their home second inning to take a commanding 7-0 lead after tacking on one run in the first.
With the bases loaded and one out in that second inning, the Cougars received a big base knock through the right side to give them their second run. Then, with bases loaded again, an infield error by the Seahawks produced two more runs pushing the score to 3-0.
A single and a double ensued scoring three more runs for the Cougars. Ochoa ended the offensive surge when she got their rightfielder, Emi Willing, to fly out to left one batter later.
The freshman would be relieved by Junior Kasey Kraft (Redding, CA/Foothill) the next inning having left the game after 2 and 1/3 with one strikeout, three walks and four earned runs on eight hits including a wild pitch.
While the BYU bats remained hot throughout, Wagner couldn't match the firepower as they were only able to muster three hits and no runs before the game was called after the fifth inning with the Cougars ahead 10-0.
Perhaps the Seahawks' best opportunity to get on the board was in the opening inning when they had runners on second and third with two outs. However, Cougar pitcher Paige Affleck (4-1) - who pitched all five innings striking out seven to earn the shutout - ended the Wagner bid as she got freshman catcher Jamie El-Aazami (Houston, TX/Cypress Hills) to go down swinging.
The Seahawks would leave two on base once again in the third inning after senior catcher Victoria Batistelli (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach) singled to right and junior designated player Jaclyn Vanore (Palisades Park, NJ/Paramus Catholic) reached on a fielder's choice, but once again, Affleck stymied the rally by getting senior rightfielder Ami Iwicki (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) to strike out swinging.
Ochoa (0-1) was saddled with the loss.
Wagner now readies for a huge day tomorrow as they'll first take on the University of Virginia - losers of their first five games heading into a 7:30 p.m. match-up with No. 5 Tennessee tonight - at 12:15 p.m., and then that same nationally-ranked Lady Volunteer team at 2:30 p.m. Tennessee is 10-1 going into tonight's game against UVA.
Score by Innings R H E
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Wagner.............. 000 00 - 0 3 1
BYU................. 162 1X - 10 12 2
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E - ESHELMAN, Ka; DAVIS; VANCE. DP - Cougars 1. LOB - Seahawks 6; Cougars 6.
2B - DAVIS; QUIOCHO; VANCE. HR - NIX. SB - ESHELMAN, Ka; SNOW; QUIOCHO;
JENKINS.
Wagner IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
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Heather Ochoa....... 2.1 8 9 4 3 1 16 19
Kasey Kraft......... 1.2 4 1 1 1 0 8 9
BYU IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
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AFFLECK............. 5.0 3 0 0 2 7 19 21
Win - AFFLECK (4-1). Loss - OCHOA, H (0-1). Save - None.
WP - OCHOA, H 2; KRAFT, K. PB - JENKINS.
Umpires - HP: Larry White 1B: Shelley Mangrum 3B: David Rheinecker
Start: 3:25 pm Time: 1:49 Attendance:
Game: TNCL3
