Softball Earns No. 3 Seed in MAAC Tournament
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Jamie Constantz
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NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – For the first time since 2000, the Niagara University softball team (18-18) will be playing in the postseason when it participates in the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship this week at DeLuca Field in Fairfield, Conn.
The Purple Eagles finished 10-6 in league play to earn the No. 3 seed in the tournament, and plays No. 2 Saint Peter’s College (21-21, 11-5) at 1 p.m. Thursday. A Niagara win puts it in the semifinals at 11 a.m. Friday vs. the winner of top seed Canisius College vs. No. 4 Marist College game. The championship games of the double-elimination tournament are scheduled for Saturday at noon and 2 p.m.
Niagara enters the tournament on a winning note after splitting its last regular-season series at Rider University this past weekend. It is 4-1 in its last five games and 6-4 in the last 10 outings.
All-MAAC candidate Lisa Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) is having an outstanding senior season, leading the team in hitting (.388) and runs (25). She also has 40 hits, including nine doubles, and 16 RBI.
MAAC Freshman of the Year candidate Kristin Kill (South Portland, Maine) is hitting .384 with a team-leading 43 hits and 11 doubles. The right fielder also has 21 runs and 17 RBI.
Niagara Athlete of the Week and All-MAAC candidate Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) leads the team with 29 RBI and is hitting .356 with 23 runs, 42 hits and six home runs.
Senior Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.) leads the squad with 11 doubles and eight home runs. The All-MAAC candidate also is hitting .309 with 19 runs, 34 hits and 23 RBI.
Sophomores Felicia Coffey (Mesa, Ariz.) and Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Calif.) are hitting .310 and .309, respectively.
On the mound, juniors Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Brooke Viola (Las Alamitos, Calif.) are Niagara’s one-two punch. McCrory has a 2.93 earned-run average in 21 appearances, 17 starts and nine complete games. The right hander also has an 8-5 record, four shutouts, a save and 78 strikeouts. Viola has a 3.80 ERA in 21 appearances, 14 starts and nine complete games. She is 8-9 on the season with a shutout and 68 strikeouts.
Saint Peter’s enters the MAAC Championship on a winning note after splitting it final regular-season series vs. Iona College.
The Peahens are led by senior Julie Saporito who tops the team in hitting (.397), hits (50), runs (33), doubles (14), home runs (11) and RBI (36). Tricia Reingle (.343) and Chrissy Gannon (.310) are also hitting .300-or-better.
On the mound, Amber Phillips has a 3.05 ERA, 8-11 record and 49 strikeouts in 26 appearances and 18 starts. Reingle has a 1.98 ERA, 7-2 record, three shutouts, 40 strikeouts in 12 games.
During the regular season, Niagara and Saint Peter’s split the series on Monteagle Ridge. The Peahens won game one, 8-3, but the Purple Eagles shut out Saint Peter’s, 7-0, in game two.
