Center Valley, PA – Sophomore Katie Morrissey (Lanoka Harbor, NJ/Lacey Township) and junior Jen Lococo (Easton, PA/Freedom) combined on a two-hit shutout leading the DeSales University softball team to a 3-0 win over Cabrini College in the opening round of the ECAC South Region Tournament on a chilly and dreary Wednesday afternoon.
The Bulldogs improve to 25-19 overall with the win and move thru to the weekend’s double elimination tournament which will be held at Bethany College (WV) on Saturday and Sunday. DSU will play the winner of the Centenary/Misericordia game which was moved to Thursday afternoon because of the rain over the past few days. Bethany College will take on Catholic University in the other first round match-up in the double elimination tourney to be played this weekend. Times will be announced sometime on Thursday.
On Wednesday, DSU scored one run in the first, third, and fifth innings and that was all it needed as Morrissey and Lococo were dominant on the mound. In the bottom of the first inning junior Kate Steiner (Walnutport, PA/Northampton) singled and later scored on an RBI groundout from sophomore Christine Petrilla (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert).
The Bulldogs added a second run in the third when senior Kerri Andrews (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on a sacrifice bunt, and later scored on another wild pitch. In the fifth, Lococo doubled to lead-off the inning and scored four batters later as senior Kristen Cybularz (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) legged out an infield hit with two outs to plate Lococo.
Morrissey allowed both hits in the circle and struck out three over four innings to earn her ninth win of the season. Lococo pitched three no-hit innings with three K’s to earn her first save of the season and also had two hits at the plate. Andrews’ run scored in the third set a new single-season record as she crossed home plate for the 42nd time this year. She enters the weekend needing just two hits to break the single-season record. Senior Kyra Monarek (Allentown, PA/Parkland) also had two hits in the win.