March 6, 2011

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Jacksonville Dolphins (12-9) used a two-run seventh inning rally to down Villanova (6-8) 2-1 in a tightly contested battle at the USF Under Armour Invitational.

Fresman Kaity Sitzman (Tucson, Ariz.) was making her first collegiate start under the lights in Clearwater, Fla. and she pitched extremely well. She settled in nicely by retiring the side in order in the first inning, including one of her three strikeouts on the night. Her talents were on display in the second inning as she struck out two Dolphin hitters using a very effective mix between her fastball and changeup to work around a walk and a single.

Villanova scattered a pair of hits by sophomore Valerie Ortega (Ventura, Calif.) and junior Tessa Braga (Scottsdale, Ariz.) in the second and third innings, but were unable to generate anything to show for it on the scoreboard until the fourth inning.

Junior Jamie O'Hara (Lithia, Fla.) continued her great offensive play with her third hit of the day and fourth of the tournament, by leading off with a single to left. Sophomore catcher Amanda Marquez (Miami, Fla.) successfully advanced O'Hara to second base with a perfect sacrifice bunt which brought first baseman Valerie Ortega to the plate. Ortega ripped an RBI double to the right-center gap to score O'Hara and give the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage. It was Ortega's second hit of the game, fifth of the tournament as well as her fifth RBI in her last four games. She is batting .500 for the tournament in Clearwater. Junior Kristi Burlin (Roseville, Calif.) worked a walk after a 10-pitch at bat to put two runners on with one out, but Dolphin pitcher Sarah Sigrest induced a groundball and a strikeout to silence the threat.

Sitzman was still cruising along into the fourth inning when she worked out of a first and third jam with two outs by getting a groundout to Ortega at first base. Sitzman then worked a quick fifth inning by sending down Jacksonville in order with two groundballs and a fly ball to O'Hara in center.

Both pitchers were locked in as the game progressed to the later innings. Sigrest retired eleven Wildcats in a row after the Burlin walk, while Sitzman continued to dazzle with her mix of pitches. She surrendered a lead-off single in the sixth, but let her defense work behind her by getting two groundballs and another fly out to O'Hara, which allowed her to carry her shut out into the seventh inning.

Olivia Kline led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle off Sitzman and advanced to second on an illegal pitch call. A successful sacrifice bunt advanced her to third base with just one out. Kayla Ouellet hit an infield single to Burlin at third base which did not score the run, but allowed her to reach base. Sitzman's night was over after pitching 6 1/3 very effective innings in her first collegiate start scattering seven hits and walking just one.

Junior Caitlyn Delahaba (Ashburn, Va.) came on in relief with runners on the corners and one out. Ouellet stole second on Delahaba's first pitch to put the go-ahead run on second base. Amanda Schmidt hit a soft pop up in front of sophomore Taylor Olafson (Jacksonville, Fla.) that looked like it was going to fall, but Olafson dove and caught it to preserve the Wildcat lead. Delahaba walked the next hitter to load the bases and on the first pitch to the next hitter Meagan Balding, the ball got by catcher Amanda Marquez to tie the game at 1-1. A few pitches later, Balding squared up a pitch and drove it over O'Hara's head in center field for the walk-off single and 2-1 Dolphin victory.

Villanova collected four hits in the defeat as well as a strong pitching performance from the freshman Kaity Sitzman (0-1). The Wildcats will try to finish the tournament strong with a noon game against Bethune-Cookman on Sunday.