DeLand, Fla. ? Senior first baseman Andrea Migliori (Winter Garden, Fla.) and junior pitcher Amanda Lindsey (Byhalia, Miss.) hit home runs in each game as the Stetson softball team (10-12) earned 2-1 and 6-5 wins over Hartford and Iowa, respectively, on the first day of the Stetson Classic at Patricia Wilson Field on Friday. Migliori became only the third player in A-Sun history to hit 50 career home runs and set the Stetson career RBI record in the process. Junior catcher Jessica Lokeinsky (Cooper City, Fla.) delivered a walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to beat Iowa in the nightcap.
The victory over Iowa (17-5) was especially big for the Hatters as the Hawkeyes entered the day ranked 22nd in the UltimateCollegeSoftball.com poll and just a shade outside the Top 25 in two other major national polls. Iowa is ranked 29th in the NFCA coaches poll and 30th in the USA Softball poll.
Down 1-0 to Hartford at the end of five full innings after first baseman Erin Kyzer's RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, Lindsey needed to see just one pitch from Hartford's Siera Sheehan in the top of the sixth to tie the game. The Hatter designated player belted Sheehan's first pitch of the inning on a line over the center field wall to tie the game 1-1. It was her first home run of the season. Although Stetson would not score again in the inning, the Hatters came up with the winning run in the top of the seventh, this one again coming on one swing of the bat. With one out and nobody aboard, Migliori smacked Sheehan's first pitch deep to right center field to give her team its first lead of the afternoon.
Senior pitcher Erica Demers (Miami, Fla.) set the Hawks down in order in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the victory. Demers held Hartford (0-2) to just one run, one hit and one walk in seven innings while striking out nine. Sheehan gave up two runs on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts in a complete game loss. Migliori had two hits, including the home run, and walked twice to lead Stetson.
What was a duel of dominating pitchers between Lindsey and Iowa senior Brittany Weil in the nightcap quickly turned into an error- and home run-fueled slugfest starting in the bottom of the fifth inning. Back-to-back walks to Joyce and Migliori sandwiched between outs left Lindsey at the plate with two on and two down. After a long battle against Weil, Lindsey finally won out by pounding a 3-2 pitch far over the left field bleachers and into the street beyond to put the Hatters ahead 3-0.
That lead would not stand, however, as Iowa rallied for four unearned runs in the top of the sixth, aided by some poor Stetson fielding. The Hatters were charged with three errors in the frame, including a key miscue with two out that allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score.
Iowa tacked on an insurance run in the seventh and looked poised to claim the victory until Migliori struck again with a two-run blast to left field with one out that tied the game 5-5. One batter later, Lindsey lashed a double to right center to put the winning run in scoring position, but Weil responded with an inning-ending strikeout to move the game to extra innings. Migliori's home run gave her 181 career RBI, two better than the record set by former teammate Melissa Wiggins '06.
With international tie-breaker in effect in the eighth inning, Iowa could not advance its initial runner from second and Stetson went right to work on scoring the winning run. Freshman shortstop Chelsey Trotto (Lantana, Fla.) bunted freshman pinch runner Grace Turner (Fort Myers, Fla.) over to third base, setting the stage for Lokeinsky to send Turner and the Hatter faithful home happy with a hard shot single through the gap in right center field.
Lindsey earned the win with nine strikeouts in eight innings; all five runs that scored against her were unearned on nine hits and a walk. Joyce singled and stole a base in each game; she now has a team-high 11 steals on the season. Iowa first baseman Katie Brown enjoyed a four for four afternoon at the plate with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. Weil struck out 10 Hatters in 7.1 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks.
In the afternoon's neutral site game, Iowa eased past Hartford 7-1 as third baseman Katie Keim and designated player Colleen McGlaughlin each hit home runs.
The Stetson Classic continues tomorrow as currently undefeated Cornell (7-0 in 2009) arrives at Patricia Wilson Field to take on Hartford at 11 a.m. and Iowa at 1:30 p.m. Iowa and Hartford face off again at 4 p.m. before the Hatters take the field for their only game of the night, a contest against Cornell scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Live Stats and Jamie Bataille's Hatter Vision webcast are available for all home contests at www.GoHatters.com, the official online home of Stetson Athletics.
