Softball Blanks Seton Hall 6-0 To Open NCAA Regional Play

Thursday, May 17

Norman, Okla.

12:30 PM

University of Washington

1-0

Seton Hall

0-1

Seton Hall

Washington

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Softball Blanks Seton Hall 6-0 To Open NCAA Regional Play

May 17, 2001 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

May 17, 2001

Box Score

NORMAN, Okla. - Washington pitcher Tia Bollinger (Santa Ana, Calif.) allowed just one hit and freshman Courtney Jeffries (Eugene, Ore.) blasted a three-run home run as the Husky softball team opened NCAA regional play by defeating Seton Hall, 6-0, Wednesday at the OU Softball Complex. With the win, the Huskies, who won their 18-straight NCAA regional game, moved to 38-21 overall, while the Pirates fell to 29-15 in their school's first-ever NCAA softball appearance.

"It's important to get comfortable and familiar with the field and the weather," Washington head coach Teresa Wilson said. "But it was even more important to get this first game under our belts."

The Washington bats got going early, as freshman Rita Roach (Norwalk, Calif.) got on base with a lead-off bunt single to open the game. Roach then stole second and scored on senior Kelly Hauxhurst's (Westminster, Calif.) RBI-double to the gap in left-center field. Still in the first inning, UW sophomore Jaime Clark (Tustin, Calif.) was hit by a pitch and senior Kim DePaul (Tomball, Texas) walked to load the bases. Freshman Amanda Oleson (Agoura Hills, Calif.) ripped a single through the right-side of the infield, scoring both Hauxhurst and Clark to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead.

Bollinger baffled the Seton Hall batters all day, retiring the side in order through three innings, before allowing a lead-off walk in the top of the fourth inning. The Huskies then converted three consecutive force-outs at second base to end any Pirate threat.

In the bottom of the fourth, Oleson walked and senior Christie Rosenblad (Fillmore, Calif.) singled to put runners at first and second. The next batter, Jeffries, who had flied out to deep center field in her only previous at-bat, belted her first pitch over the fence in straight-away center field to add three insurance runs and advance the score to 6-0.

An inning and a half later, Seton Hall finally broke up Bollinger's no-hit bid in the sixth as catcher Meg Berry's check swing fell for a hit in front of home plate. The Huskies looked to have the inning over two batters later, but Pirate McKenzie Richards reached base on a drop third-strike to advance Berry to second base. Bollinger, however, ended the inning by tallying her eighth and final strikeout of the game.

UW junior pitcher Shannon Walsh (Covina, Calif.) came on in relief of Bollinger in the top of the seventh, once again retiring the side in order as the two Husky pitchers combined to throw the team's seventh one-hitter of the 2001 season.

Bollinger moved to 34-6 overall, tying the school's single-season record for wins, set by former All-American pitcher Jennifer Spediacci in 2000. Seton Hall pitcher Misty Beaver took the loss to fall to 15-7 in 2001.

Washington will play its second game of the NCAA Region 5 tournament Friday at 5:00 p.m. (CDT) against the winner of the University of Massachusetts-North Carolina game played later Thursday afternoon.