March 15, 2008

Box 1

LAURINBURG, N.C.—The St. Andrews Presbyterian College softball team scored the first five runs of the game and held off visiting Mansfield University for a 5-4 NCAA Division II softball victory on Saturday at Knights Field.

The Lady Knights, winners of four of their last five games, improved to 5-20 on the season while the Mountaineers fell to 6-3.

After a leadoff single by junior Tiffany Capone (Jacksonville, N.C.), sophomore third baseman Brianna Shurtleff (Colton, Calif.) hit a two-run home run to give St. Andrews an early 2-0 lead in the second. Shurtleff’s two-run blast over the left-center field fence was her first home run of the season.

The Knights tacked on three unearned runs in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to five. The SAPC surge was highlighted by a run-producing double steal. Capone swiped second on the play and on the throw by the catcher, senior Mika Tanji (Honolulu, Hawaii) took off from third and scored on the delayed steal.

The Mountaineers closed the deficit to 5-3 with three runs in the top of the fourth before the game was delayed for 30 minutes due to lightning. Senior Amanda Lewis (Stamford, Conn.) started the comeback attempt with an RBI-double; classmate Shana Markwis (Milford, Pa.) followed with an RBI-fielders choice; and freshman Janelle Antes (Elizabethville, Pa.) capped the rally with an RBI-infield single.

After the sun came back out, Markwis inched the visitors to within one run, 5-4, with a leadoff home run in the sixth. However, Markwis’ solo shot was the last hit for Mansfield.

Knights’ senior starter Samantha Stewart (Ft. Pierce, Fla.) was credited with the win pitching 6 1/3 innings. Stewart allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six.

Senior Whitney Brown (Troy, Pa.) was tagged for the loss allowing the two-run homer by Shurtleff. Classmate Lindsay Knapp (Millerton, Pa.) tossed the final four innings in relief of Brown giving up three runs (zero earned) on one hit and four walks.

Mansfield had several opportunities to score more runs but left 11 runners on base. Markwis had two of the Mountaineers four hits.

St. Andrews travels to league foe Mount Olive College on Sunday for a Conference Carolinas double dip beginning at 2:00 p.m. Mansfield opens PSAC conference play on Friday, March 28 in their home opener against West Chester University with the first pitch slated for 2:00 p.m.