Minutewomen sweep softball tournament

The 24th-ranked University of Massachusetts softball team won all five games it played at the Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla., during the weekend, finishing with a 6-1 victory over Robert Morris on Sunday.

The Minutewomen (11-4) were the only undefeated team of the 27 that participated. It is also the first time that UMass has gone 5-0 at an early season tournament since 1999.

UMass starting pitcher Bailey Sanders (2-2) got the win Sunday, allowing four nits and three walks while striking out two.

Sara Plourde pitched the final four innings to earn her first career save. She allowed one earned run on a triple and bunt single by the Colonials (1-4), while striking out six.

Seven of the nine hits by the Minutewomen were for extra bases, including a to-run homer by Sarah Reeves.

Kyllie Magill was 3-for-4 for UMass, including a double and triple. She scored twice and drove in one run.

Katie Bettencourt and Michelle Libby had the other RBIs for the Minutewomen.

On Saturday, Plourde (9-2) pitched all 14 innings as UMass shut out Virginia Tech 3-0 and rallied to defeat host University of South Florida 6-5.

The Minutewomen scored all three runs against the Hokies in the fifth inning on a two-run double to right center by Whitney Williams and a single to the right side by Bettencourt.

Plourde retired 11 straight batters to end the game against Virginia Tech. She struck out 10 while allowing three hits and two walks.

UMass came from behind twice after the Bulls took leads of 2-0 and 5-4.

Reeves hit a three-run homer off the top of the left-field fence in the third, and then scored on a double by Meghan Carta.

Libby's two-run single in the sixth was the game-winning hit.

Plourde struck out 14 University of South Florida batters, while allowing three earned runs on seven hits and two walks.

The Minutewomen began play at the tournament by winning two games Friday, 3-0 over Tennessee-Chattanooga and 4-2 against Loyola Chicago.

Plourde got both wins and did not allow an earned run in 12 innings pitched.

Carta hit home runs in each game, the first of her career.

The other runs against the Mocs scored on an illegal pitch and a throwing error.

Plourde struck out 13 and allowed four hits against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Libby also homered against the Ramblers, and Carly Normandin and Bettencourt had RBI-singles.

Plourde struck out eight and allowed two hits and two walks in five innings against Loyola Chicago.

Sanders pitched the final two innings against the Ramblers, striking out four and allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks, for her first save of the year.

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