#12 Softball Pounds Massachusetts, 8-0 At NCAA Regional Tournament

Friday, May 18

Norman, Okla.

3:00 PM

University of Washington

39-21

UMass

44-12

Washington

Massachusetts

Softball's Tia Bollinger Named Pac-10 Pitcher Of The Week

#12 Softball Pounds Massachusetts, 8-0 At NCAA Regional Tournament

May 18, 2001 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

May 18, 2001

Box Score

NORMAN, Okla. - UW senior Kim DePaul (Tomball, Texas) went 3-for-3 and freshman pitcher Tia Bollinger (Santa Ana, Calif.) earned her school-record 35th win of the season as the Washington softball team defeated Massachusetts 8-0 Friday in five innings at the NCAA Region 5 Tournament. With the win, the Huskies remain undefeated at 2-0 after two days of action, claiming their 19th straight regional victory to move to 39-21 overall. The Minutewomen, meanwhile, dropped to 44-12 in 2001 and 1-1 in regional play.

UMass had the first real scoring opportunity of the game, loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, following a pair of infield singles and a hit by pitch. Bollinger, however, got the number six batter Debbie Tomoguchi to bounce into a fielder's choice force out at second base for the third out.

Washington got its bats going in the top of the second inning after going down in order in its first at-bat. Sophomore Jaime Clark (Tustin, Calif.) started the rally with a lead-off single through the middle, which was followed by the first of three singles on the day by DePaul. After a freshman Amanda Oleson (Agoura Hills, Calif.) walked to load the bases, senior Christie Rosenblad (Fillmore, Calif.) blooped a single just over the head of UMass second baseman Ashley Bakken to score both Clark and DePaul.

UW freshman Courtney Jeffries (Eugene, Calif.), who had a three-run home run Thursday, and sophomore catcher Amy Hanson (Mt. Vernon, Wash.) kept the inning going with a pair of back-to-back RBI singles, driving in three more runs to give the Huskies a 5-0 lead.

The Minutewomen tried to bounce back in the bottom half of the third as lead-off hitter Emily Robustelli tripled to the gap in right-center field. After a ground out back to the pitcher left Robustelli frozen at third for the first out, Bollinger walked the next batter Brandi Cross, who was replaced on the base paths by pinch runner KC Budrewicz.

Budrewicz stole second to put runners on second and third, but Bollinger struck out clean-up batter Cherra Wheeler and then caught pitcher Kaila Holtz looking on strike three to end the inning.

Washington would add three more insurance runs all with two outs in the top of the fourth to end the game at 8-0 after five innings, due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Bollinger, who was relieved by junior Shannon Walsh (Covina, Calif.) in the bottom of the fifth, recorded her school-record 35th win of the season, allowing three hits and striking out six to move to 35-6 overall. Bollinger broke former All-American pitcher Jennifer Spediacci's single-season record of 34 victories set just one year ago in 2000.

UMass starting pitcher Carrie Jeffries took the loss to fall to 12-5 overall.

Washington will play the winner of the Oklahoma-North Carolina game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT at the OU Softball Complex. The winner of that game will move on to Sunday's regional championship.