Cruver cruises to two more shutout wins

NEWPORT, R.I. - With an offense that scored runs early and late, and a defense that turned in several spectacular plays, Salve Regina University senior pitcher Jen Cruver (North Haven, Conn.) hurled back-to-back four-hit shutouts as the Seahawk softball team swept UMass Dartmouth, 5-0 and 8-0 (five innings) at Toppa Field.

Cruver opened game one by retiring the first 10 batters she faced. The first baserunner for the Corsairs benefitted from a bad hop single to second base in the fourth inning.

The Seahawks had scored their first run one frame earlier. With the top of the order leading off, senior shortstop Ali Muehlbronner (Glenside, Pa.) walked on five pitches. Freshman rightfielder Melissa Figueiredo (East Bridgewater, Mass.) sacrificed her to second.

After a walk and a strikeout, senior catcher Megan Jakiela (Meriden, Conn.) stung a hard shot that struck the Corsairs' shortstop on her throwing hand. With the ball falling just a few feet away, Muehlbronner capitalized on the opportunity and came around to score an unearned run.

Cruver struck out the first batter of the fifth inning, but then UMass Dartmouth reached her for three successive singles. On a 3-2 count, freshman Shannon Droney (Franklin, Mass.) flared the ball in Muehlbronner's direction at short. Not high enough for the infield fly rule, but Muelbronner took the sure out and grabbed the ball in the air for the second out.

The shutout was preserved when Cruver induced a grounder to short, leaving the bases loaded.

Salve Regina (11-7) added a run in the fifth junior Marissa Simpson (Brimfield, Mass.) walked and advanced to third on Jillian Quintana's (Denver, Colo.) sacrifice bunt. When the throw to third eluded the fielder scrambling to the bag, Simpson was granted home plate.

Pinch-hitter Nicole Parry (Quincy, Mass.) delivered an insurance run in the Seahawk sixth when she plated Muehlbronner with a squeeze bunt. Quintana doubled to drive in Parry.

Cruver issued two walks in the Corsair seventh but got the final out on a liner to Muehlbronner.

In the nightcap, Quintana blasted her third homerun of the season, a two-run shot in the first inning. Salve Regina added five runs in the bottom of the second. Sara Nelson (Bristol, Conn.) had a one-out single up the middle and went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Cruver singled up the middle to score Nelson. Muelbronner doubled to put runners at second and third. Figueiredo followed with a bunt single to score Cruver and move Muehlbronner to third.

Figueiredo stole second, Simpson walked, and all three runners advanced on a passed ball, with Muehlbronner scoring. Quintana added her third and fourth RBI of the game with a single down the left-field line.

Jennifer Edine (Warwick, R.I.) led off the third inning with a double to right center. Sophomore Lauren Nicholson (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) singled up the middle to make the score 8-0.

UMass Dartmouth (8-8), which had won four straight including a 28-1 victory over Mass Maritime coming into today's twinbill, hosts its first Little East Conference (LEC) games on Saturday when Plymouth State University visits. Salve Regina hosts in-state rival Roger Williams University on Wednesday (4 p.m.) after breaking for Easter.