Box Score Buffalo, NY – After being rained out last Wednesday, the D'Youville softball team and Pitt.-Bradford Panthers finished their season series Friday afternoon with the Spartans picking up a 4-0 shutout win over the Panthers at Dobson Field.
The Spartans opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Pitcher Kalie McHenry (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) led off the inning with a walk. Victoria Purucker (North Tonawanda, NY/Starpoint) then moved McHenry to second with a sac-bunt. In the next at-bat, MacKenzie Kehlenbeck (Alabama, NY/Oakfield-Alabama) singled up the middle to drive in McHenry, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
As they did in the second, D'Youville began the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk. Purucker got on and was pinch-ran for by Sierra Belkota (North Tonawanda, NY/Starpoint), who then stole second. Kehlenbeck then singled, advancing on the throw and moved Belkota to third. Next up, Ashley Colan (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) singled up the middle, scoring Belkota and Kehlenbeck, extending the lead to 3-0.
D'Youville would add an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Hannah Turek (Depew, NY/Lancaster) led off the inning with a triple. Then with two outs, Kehlenbeck collected her second RBI of the game by driving in Turek with a triple of her own. Turek's run would be the final run of the game as the Spartans would go on to defeat the Panthers 4-0.
McHenry was outstanding, as she has been throughout conference play this season. She pitched a complete game over seven innings, striking out seven and allowing two hits. She carried a perfect game into the top of the fifth, but it was broken up by a bloop single over her head.
Colan and Kehlenbeck accounted for all four RBI with two runs batted in each. Four different players scored a run and Kehlenbeck led the team with three hits, followed by Turek with two.
The women will get right back to conference action as they will host the Pitt.-Greensburg Bobcats tomorrow, April 16th at 1/3pm at Dobson Field.
