Friday, May 05, 2006

Chris Halstead (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) tossed Valpo's first complete game shutout of the season in game one and Stephanie Kelly (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) struck out 10 in 6.2 innings in game two as the Crusaders swept UMKC 4-0 and 1-0 Friday afternoon at the Valparaiso University Softball Field.

Halstead's gem saw only four Kangaroos reach base, three on hits and another on an error. The sophomore did not allow a runner to reach third base en route to her eighth victory of the season and third career shutout despite not recording a single strikeout.

Kelly, on the other hand, overpowered the visitors from the start, striking out the side in the first inning and adding two more punch-outs in the second. The 10 whiffs are a season-high for a Crusader pitcher and complemented the freshman's line of four hits and one walk.

Kelly was relieved with two on and two outs in the seventh inning of a 0-0 game by Andrea Zappia (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central). Zappia threw only four pitches in recording an out, but earned the win when the Crusaders scored in the bottom of the seventh.

Shannon Robinson (Toronto, Ontario/John Redmond) opened the frame with her fourth hit of the day and 50th of the season, a sharp single to left field. The next batter, Courtney LaFerle (Elgin, Ill./Larkin) blistered one off the wall in right sending Robinson to third. The Crusaders won the game on a ground ball off the bat of Beth Adamski (Saint John, Ind./Lake Central) two batters later.

In game one, Valpo started earlier in their support of Halstead, going up 1-0 in the third when LaFerle doubled in Robinson with two outs. The Crusaders struck again in the fourth on an RBI hit from senior Ann Sievert (Davenport, Iowa/Assumption).

Sievert, playing in her final series as a Crusader, was honored between games one and two by Head Coach Randy Schneider who presented the Valpo captain with a framed jersey and plaque.

The Brown and Gold busted open the first game in the sixth inning with some help from the field itself. With two outs and runners on second and third, Robinson's grounder to short took a bad hop over the head of Kim Hoiting, scoring Sievert and Alicia Ashburn (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka).

Robinson went 3-for-3 in game one, including her 13th double of the year, tying the single-season school record set just last year by Megan Carroll (Eaton Rapids, Mich./Eaton Rapids). Robinson's 50 hits on the season have her within three of the single-season school record, set by Krista Bane in 1991.

The Crusaders (21-29, 8-14 Mid-Con) and Kangaroos (10-43, 5-17 Mid-Con) will wrap up their 2006 seasons Saturday afternoon with two more games beginning at 12:00 p.m. Both contests can be heard live on 95.1 FM, WVUR, and online at www.valpo.edu/athletics.

Game one box score
Game two box score