Softball Tops Syracuse In Big East Tournament Opening Round

Ricci Lugo's game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth led the Wildcats to a 3-2 victory.

Ricci Lugo came through with a clutch base hit in the bottom of the eighth to plate the winning run.

May 9, 2002

SALEM, VA. ----- An RBI single by Villanova shortstop Ricci Lugo (San Clemente, Calif.) in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Wildcats a 3-2 victory over Syracuse in the opening round of the 2002 Big East Championships. The win marks the first victory for Villanova in the first round of the tournament since 1994. With the win, Villanova improves to 45-13 on the year and advances to play Virginia Tech at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 9, at the James I Moyer Complex in Salem, Va.

Villanova freshman Krissy Yauch (Tucson, Ariz.) recorded the first hit of the game in the bottom of the second inning with two outs on a slap hit up the middle. On the ensuing at bat senior Heather Garboden (Beaverton, Ore.) drove a ball to center field that was dropped. Yauch, moving on contact, scored from first base to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Syracuse broke up Theresa Hornick's (Edmonds, Wash.) shutout bid in the top of the fourth inning taking advantage of a Wildcat miscue. Rachel Park (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) led off with a single to left field and Becky Snyder (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) entered as a pinch runner replacing Park. Hornick came back to strike out Cheryl Julicher (Williamsville, N.Y.) for the first out of the inning.

In the next at bat, Tanya Rose (Milwaukie, Ore.) grounded to shortstop Ricci Lugo (San Clemente, Calif.) on what appeared to be a routine ground out. The result, however, was far from routine. Lugo caught Snyder in between third and home, but Snyder managed to cross the plate on the third throw of the run down when Garboden mishandled a throw and dropped the ball when trying to tag Snyder.

The Orangewomen added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning on back-to-back hits by Kristen Collins (Stow, Mass.) and Christina Holowich (Castro Valley, Calif.). Collins reached base on a bloop single down the right field line and scored on a Holowich double to the left-center field gap.

Villanova head coach Maria DiBernardi opted to make a pitching change after Syracuse grabbed a 2-1 lead and freshman Shannon Williams (Allentown, Pa.) relieved Hornick. Williams pitched her way out of the inning on an unconventional, inning ending double-play. Syracuse attempted a suicide squeeze play, but Williams' throw at the plate beat the runner and catcher Kriste Romano (Mesa, Ariz.) came up throwing to throw the batter out at second for the third out.

The Wildcats threatened to score in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sara Carlson (Langley, B.C.) doubled down the left field line followed by an infield single from Robin Flier (Lafayette, Calif.) to give Villanova two base runners. Syracuse's pitcher, Heather Brown (Farmington, N.M.) pitched out of the jam forcing the next two batters to fly out.

The Wildcats rallied in the bottom of the seventh and managed to tie the score at 1-1 to force extra innings. With one out, Yauch reached on a slap-hit singled and scored on the next play on a Garboden RBI single to right center field. With two runners on base, Brown struck out Carlson to end the threat.

Syracuse put runners on second and third on consecutive hits by Park and Juhlicher. Villanova elected to load the bases by intentionally walking Rose and Williams pitched her way out of the inning unscathed stranding all three runners.

In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Flier led off with a single up the middle. Sophomore Lisa Krueger (Mission Viejo, Calif.) followed with a single setting up a first and second situation for Lugo. Lugo delivered with an RBI single to left center field allowing Krueger to score the game-winning run.

Who Villanova Will Play...
In the second game of the afternoon both Virginia Tech and Notre Dame combined for 22 hits, 11 apiece, but it was Virginia Tech who ended on top 8-3 when all was said and done. Virginia Tech slugged four home runs, setting a new Big East Championship record and a new school record in the upset of top-seeded Notre Dame. Senior Ashlee Dobbe (N. Vancouver, B.C.), who recorded her 900th career strikeout in the game, improves to 29-11 on the year pitching the Hokies to victory.

For more information on Villanova softball please contact Media Relations Assistant, Kevin Fischer, at 610.519.6460 or via email at Kevin.Fischer@villanova.edu.

Villanova University