HUSKIES EARN THIRD-PLACE FINISH WITH 9-3 WIN OVER UNC

Campanello, Weidert and Wright named to All-Tournament Team

Casie Campanello

GREELEY, Colo. – The HBU softball team put a four-spot in the first inning and never looked back, defeating the University of Northern Colorado by a score of 9-3 on a cold and windy afternoon on the campus of UNC. The win gave the Huskies a third-place finish in the Independent Tournament.

Casie Campanello – the shining star for the Huskies in the entire tournament – started things off in the bottom o f the first with a triple down the right-field line. Laine Skelton grounded out to the pitcher, bringing home Campanello for a 1-0 lead. A two-RBI double by Kaitlin Southerland extended the Husky lead to 3-0. RBI single by Jaymie Heibel brought home Southerland to make the score 4-0. Campanello grounded out to the pitcher with the bases loaded to end the inning.

The score remained the same until the bases were loaded with Huskies with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth for Laine Skelton. She grounded to the pitcher, who tried to throw home but threw it away, scoring Lorin Leatherwood and Jammie Weidert, making the score 6-0 HBU. An RBI single by Kali Johnson scored Campanello to make it 7-0.

A beautiful throw by Skelton with one out in the top of the fifth got a Bear trying to score, keeping the score 7-0, but a two-out infield single broke the shutout.

A two-run homerun by Erin Wilkinson in dead center field cut the Husky lead to 7-3 in the top of the sixth. A grounder to Weidert halted the rally. An RBI single in the bottom half of the inning by Wright scored Skelton from second. Sara Corcoran hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring Johnson, making the score 9-3 entering the decisive seventh. The Bears went down in order to seal the win for HBU.

Weidert went the distance for HBU, allowing eight hits and three earned runs while striking out two. The Bears used three pitchers, accumulating nine hits, six earned runs and six walks while striking out six.

Three Huskies enjoyed a multiple-hit game: Campanello (2-for-4), Wright (2-for-4) and Johnson (2-for-3). Skelton and Southerland were both tops with two RBI. Three Bears also had two-hit performances: Jessica McNabb (2-for-3), Wilkinson (2-for-3) and Katelyn Landorf (2-for-3).

After the conclusion of the game, the All-Tournament Team was announced and three Huskies earned spots on the team: Campanello, Weidert and Wright.

In the four games, Campanello batted 8-for-15 (.533) with four runs and three runs batted in. She was also a force in the field, making superb catches and finishing the weekend with 12 putouts.

Weidert earned two victories – one against Cal State-Bakersfield and the other coming today – and finished the weekend with a 5.06 earned run average. She appeared in three games, giving up three earned runs each outing. She finished the weekend with five strikeouts.

Wright batted 6-for-14 (.429) with two runs, two RBI and 31 putouts.

Below is the entire team:

Infielders:
Jessica Amador, Seattle
Jamie Foote, Seattle
Alaina Novotny, South Dakota
Jessica McNabb, Northern Colorado
Melissa Wright, Houston Baptist

Outfielders:
Jessie Schoepflin, Northern Colorado
Casie Campanello, Houston Baptist
Jill McClelland, Cal State Bakersfield
Tagney Jones, South Dakota

Utility/DP:
Danielle Lyman, Cal State Bakersfield
Lexie Eversley, South Dakota
Melissa Ryba, Northern California

Pitchers:
Hannah Klein, Seattle
Jammie Weidert, Houston Baptist
Brittany Johnson, Cal State Bakersfield

MVP: Hannah Klein, Seattle

HBU finished its 2009 season with a record of 18-23.