Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Brandice Balschmiter was named an alternate for the national softball team that plays this summer in Venezuela, an impressive accomplishment considering the pitchers that did make the team.
* Doc Schneider became a UMass assistant lacrosse coach which is great for his career and great for the team, but bad for him if he doesn't want to tell me the origination of his "Doc" moniker. I still have a recording of him telling me in an interview that he'd reveal it after the season.
* I think Saint Louis is going to play a role in the Atlantic 10 race. They got Cody Ellis eligible finally and if he's as good as they think he could be, they might not win the league but could affect who does.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Miami Herald has a story on former UMass coach Mark Whipple. In it there's a funny coincidence that Whipple's younger son Austin is now playing at St. Thomas Aquinas, the Ft. Lauderdale High School that he recruited quite a few players from, including Adrian Zullo.
The Salem News has a look at UMass softball player Tawny Palmieri.
...one day til football players arrive at UMass...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
I wonder if the UMass softball team was rooting for Washington against Georgia Tech. Is it better to be able to say you played evenly with a team that makes noise in the Women's College World Series, or is it frustrating to know how close you came?
I think if it were me I might have stopped watching all together. Thinking about it one way or the other has to be worse than not thinking about it.
* * *
Former Minuteman Stephane Lasme won a championship for Partizan in the Serbian league and apparently just had a daughter.
UMass' recruiting class was ranked second-best among non-BCS league schools.
* * *
Former football star Rene Ingoglia wants to be a broadcaster. So much that he's joining the UMass radio broadcasts and is paying his own way to get to the games from his Orlando home ever week.
* * *
I'm thrilled with how much Rescue Me has improved from season four to season five.
...12 days til the 100 Seasons of UMass Basketball Premiere...
Monday, May 18, 2009
AMHERST - A game that lasted over five hours was decided by a split second. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 15th inning, Washington's Jen Salling hit a bouncer between third and short.
Whitney Mollica, the senior third baseman, snared it on the second bounce and threw to first. Salling leaned like a sprinter approaching the line and beat the throw. Barely beat it, but beat it nonetheless as pinch runner Dani Stuart trotted in from third.
Her armor cracked, pitcher Brandice Balschmiter struggled. She gave up two straight singles, then a walk. When the dust settled and she walked off the UMass mound for the final time in her storied career, the Huskies had a 6-1 lead.
The Minutewomen got the first two batters aboard in the bottom of the 15th, but a double play dulled any hopes of a miracle comeback and Samantha Salato's strikeout ended them all together.
The game was the longest in both school's histories. The Huskies had gone 13 innings in a loss to Arizona State in 2006, while the Minutewomen edged Princeton 3-2 in a 14-frame contest in 1994.
Balschmiter threw 243 pitches in her last collegiate game. She struck out 13 and walked just one. Her counterpart Danielle Lawrie struck out 24 while throwing 251 pitches.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
After Whitney Mollica's tough day defensively contributed to the University of Massachusetts' loss to Washington, Saturday, her big day offensively was the key ingredient in the Minutewomen's win over the Huskies on Sunday.
Mollica's three-run home run in the third inning helped lift the Minutewomen to a 5-1 win forcing winner-take-all game scheduled to start at approximately 8:05.
Mollica's home run broke a tie with former teammate KJ Kelley for the school's career RBI record. Mollica now has 156. Samanta Salato added to her single season home run record with her 18 of the season in the fourth.
It was the first time Washington starter Danielle Lawrie allowed more than one home run in a game.
UMass senior pitcher Brandice Balshmiter won her 34th game, a single-season school record. She allowed three, a walks, hit two batters and struck out four.
It was UMass' first ever win against Washington.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Senior pitcher Brandice Balschmiter quickly put Saturday's winner's bracket loss to Washington behind her, and threw a perfect game in a mercy-rile shortened five-inning 8-0 win over Sacred Heart.
The Minutewomen advanced to the finals for a rematch with the Huskies at 5 p.m. Washington, which beat UMass, 3-1, in Saturday's first game, need to win only once to capture the regional title. If the Minutewomen win, they teams would play a second game 30 minutes after the first.
Balschmiter struck out six and threw 51 pitches as just one ball left the infield in the entire game. She struck out Adrian Fitzsimon to end the game and pumped her fist.
It was the third perfect game of Balschmiter's career and the first this season. It was her 10th career no-hitter.
"I knew I wanted to get by them keep the pitch count down and beat the weather," said Balschmiter, who improved to 33-5 this season.
Sacred Heart co-coach Pam London tipped her hat.
"She pitched one helluva game" London said. "For her second game of the day she had a lot of gas left. Kudos to her."
UMass coach Elaine Sortino was pleased with the game's brevity.
"We didn't want to have to play any extra innings, Sortino said. "I thought we came out and did what we needed to do."
UMass (40-9) jumped ahead in the top of the second. After Samantha Salato and Audrey Boutin walked to open the inning, Kyllie Magill poked an RBI single just inside the third base line scoring Salato and moving pinch runner Jordan Storro to third. Magill moved to second on the throw home.
Jessica Serio followed with a bouncer to short. Storro beat the throw home giving UMass a 2-0 lead.
Carly Normandin's RBI single scored pinch runner Jill Andrews to make it 3-0.
The Minutewomen added two more with a two-out rally in the fourth. Normandin's double started the fire and after a Whitney Williams walk, Whitney Mollica stroked a double to right that scored Normandin. Sarah Reeves followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
More two-out offense made it 8-0 in the top of the fifth. Mollica capped the rally with an RBI single that gave her 153 career RBIs, tying KJ Kelley's career record.
Mollica, whose error led to the Washington winning runs in the early game, said she didn't let that loss affect her.
"I was a little distraught. But Brandice was the first one that came over and said I'm going to pick you up. By the time the game started I was fine," she said.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sacred Heart surprised the Big Red meaning the Minutemen will face the Pioneers in the third game today. The game is slated to start at 7:40 p.m.
...36 minutes til then...
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Washington made fewer mistakes than the University of Massachusetts, as the Huskies edged the Minutewomen 3-1 in a game with no earned runs.
Washington advanced to the finals, Sunday at 5 p.m. UMass will play the winner of Cornell/Sacred Heart, 30 minutes after that game ends.
A tough defensive inning for Whitney Mollica contributed to Washington's first run. With one out, the senior third baseman made a terrific stab of Ashley Charters' tough bouncer to her left, but then overthrew first baseman Sarah Reeves allowing Charters to take second. Kimi Pohlman followed a grounder to Mollica, who took too long looking Charters back to second allowing Pohlman to beat her throw to first.
Jennifer Salling singled to left scoring Charters to put Washington ahead, 1-0.
UMass tied the game in the sixth. Whitney Williams hit a leadoff double off the fence in right-center field. She moved to third on Mollica's deep fly to right. Kimi Pohlman, who had just moved to right from center field, overthrew third and Williams raced home with the tying run.
But UMass gave it back in the top of the seventh. Balschmiter appeared to have escaped a bases-loaded jam with one out. After striking out Ashlyn Watson, she got Morgan Stuart to bounce to third. But Mollica appeared to take her eye off the ball and it rolled through her legs allowing two runs to score.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Gazette photographer Jerrey Roberts capture the feel of the first night game at the UMass Softball Complex
...one day til UMass-UW...
Friday, May 15, 2009
5:18 p.m.: Hello from the UMass softball complex where the lights aren't on yet, but Washington already leads Sacred Heart, 1-0.
I'll throw in scoring updates during the UMass game, but for now it'll be observations and anecdotes.
It's an absolutely perfect night for an outdoor sporting event.
Sacred Heart has co-coaches, which seems odd to me. But at yesterday's press conference, one of the coaches, Pam London, said it works for them.
"It works very well for us. Obviously, we have been doing this for a long
time, and we all have a role. There are no egos here. There is no
question of who made the right call, who made the better call. We stick
to it and make suggestions to each other. Usually, we make a snap
judgment to agree. It works and it usually pans out for us. I mostly
work with the pitchers and catchers during the game, while Bippie makes
more of the offensive calls. Unless I have a gut feeling and I suggest
something, she'll say go for it. It is a lot of give and take. Its
called teamwork, actually."
I'm not exactly sure what "It's called teamwork" means, but whatever.
5:24 p.m. Washington's Bailey Swenson is a leukemia survivor making her my new favorite player in this regional. I guess I didn't have an old favorite player in this region.
If he's Charles Whidmore's and Eloise Hawking's son, why is his name Daniel Faraday? Just wondering...
5:35 p.m. Washington's Ashley Tuiasosopo is the younger sister of former Husky QBs Marques and Zach and Mariners' prospect Matt Tuiasosopo.
5:48 p.m. I'm not sure if there's a casino in Vegas or for that matter Delaware, that would take any bets on college softball. But if there were, would odds makers have made it more likely that Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie, who has no-hit Arizona and UCLA this season, would throw a no-hitter than allow a hit? I have to think its about the same. Continuing this idiotic line of thought further, what would they have made the over under for Lawrie's strikeouts. I'd say 14 given that it's a weaker opponent, but mercy rule potential further complicates the question.
It's 2-0 Washington by the way. The Huskies have the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the third.
5:52: Bradley, who entered the tournament at 25-26, upset No. 15 overall seed DePaul, 1-0.
6:03 p.m.: Jessica Perez broke up Lawrie's no-hitter. Meaning Sacred Heart accomplished something UCLA and Arizona didn't.
6:23 p.m. - It's at least a moral victory for the Pioneers as Adrian Fitzsimon just had an RBI double for Sacred Heart to make it 7-1.
6:44 p.m. - Washington wins game one 9-1.
8:38 p.m. UMass leads 2-0 after three straight extra-base hits by Normandin, Williams and Mollica.
8:45 - UMass 4-0 in Salato's two-run homer
9:30 - UMass scored four in the top of the sixth to clinch the mercy-rule.
...17 hours til UMass-Washington...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tough weekend for lacrosses, but softball is still going:
Amherst Regional – May 15-17
No. 3 Washington (41-10) vs. Sacred Heart (25-26)
Cornell (42-11) vs. *Massachusetts (38-8)
... Four days til UMass vs. Big Red...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
UMass junior center fielder Carly Normandin has just broken UMass' record for RBIs in a game with seven. She has two home runs - a grand slam and a two-run shot and an RBI triple. UMass leads URI, 12-0 in the fifth.
...three outs til the mercy rule...
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Congratulations to former UMass kicker and current Mullins center voice Matt Goldstein and softball player Whitney Mollica, who officially got engaged at last night's UMass hockey game.
It's worth noting UMass was ahead before Whitney got her ring, but I'm sure that's a coincidence.
George Miller's description of the event was too good not to pass along.
"Whitney went out for the shoot from center ice contest and because she's a dead pull hitter, of course she missed all three wide lieft. Matt said "Sorry you're not leaving with a prize, but I have a question for you." Goldstein then got on one knee and held out the ring. Whitney held on to the stick (remarkably) and puit her hand to her mouth. She then gave Matt a big kiss (contact to the head roughing."
...??? days til their big day...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
More Maurer:
An interview with the Charleston Post and Courier.
Bio on the RiverDogs site.
On an unrelated note, thanks to Matt Goldstein for passing along this picture of the past and present Minutewomen, who played against Team USA.
...The days til a Daily Collegian legend gets married...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
UMass looked out of gas in the final game as Stanford dominated,6-0.
The Minutewomen finish the season 42-13.
...three months til football practice...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
The Cardinal jumped on UMass for three runs in the top of the first digging the Minutewomen and early hole. It's raining in Amherst.
...six innings left...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
UMass survives a hairy seventh inning. to hold on.
...30 minutes til game two...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
You can't tell that Balschmiter or Cullington are fighting injuries. Balschmiter has been excellent and Cullington made a terrific diving stop.
I've been told that Whitney Williams, the UMass shortstop, who usually sings the national anthem before Minutewoman home games wasn't allowed to by the NCAA because it would constitute a UMass advantage. Um... if you say so.
...two innings left...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Two Stanford errors, a passed ball and some good placement of balls put UMass up, 2-0.
...6.5 innings left...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Not only is Brandice Balschmiter starting, but so is Stacy Cullington, who was cleared to play the field yesterday.
...One anthem til the game starts...
