Top Seed C.W. Post Ends Chargers' Magical Run at NCAA Regional

(05-11-08)

Box Score

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. -- Melissa Medina went 4-for-5 and scored four times to lead top-seeded C.W. Post past eighth-seeded University of New Haven in the final game of the 2008 NCAA Division II Softball Championships Northeast Regional on Sunday afternoon.

UNH (29-21) saw its magical run of four straight elimination-game victories come to a halt at the hands of the Pioneers, who are now two-time defending Northeast Regional Champions.

UNH starting pitcher Breanne Gleason gave up five runs - just two of which were earned - in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.  Samantha Yodowitz, the East Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year, struck out just two but allowed only two runs in a complete-game effort to lead the Pioneers to the victory.

Gleason, who gave up eight runs to C.W. Post in the Regional opener on Wednesday, had rebounded with four consecutive complete games, including three shutouts, to carry the Chargers into this matchup.  She allowed just one unearned run over a span of 28 innings as the Chargers eliminated, in succession, (5) Georgian Court, (6) Bryant, (4) #23 Caldwell, and (2) Le Moyne.

But it was not to be on Sunday against C.W. Post, which improves to (48-14) with the victory and will play at the 2008 NCAA Softball Championships next week in Houston.

UNH, which was seeded eighth for this tournament, can be proud to say they advanced to the Regional final and was one of the "Sweet 16" teams left playing on Sunday.

After UNH tied the game at 1-1 in the third, CWP broke open the game with four runs in the top of the fourth.

Katie Younes doubled and moved to third on a single by Correia, and while a fielder's choice grounder did not result in an out at second base, Younes was thrown out at the plate by Charger shortstop Nicole Downs.  However in the next at-bat, Medina hit an infield single to third base to score Correia for a 2-1 lead.  Amanda Aiello, who reached on the fielder's choice, ended up scoring an unearned run after Kelsey Cooley's grounder was mishandled at third base for the Chargers' third error of the game.  Christy Softy singled through the left side to score Medina with another unearned run and a 4-1 lead.  Melissa Hippo followed with a single to right for a 5-1 advantage.

After a pitching change that brought Meg Brown in to relieve Gleason, UNH got out of the inning with a grounder to second base.  But Yodowitz shut down the UNH offense from that point on, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fifth.  CWP's offense continued to score with three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to cap off the game.

Downs finished 3-for-3 for the Chargers at the plate, while Meghan Walter was 2-for-4.  UNH had defeated second-seeded Le Moyne College, 2-0, earlier in the day on Sunday to advance to the Regional final.

Softy was 3-for-5 for CWP, while Hippo and Younes had a pair of hits.  C.W. Post defeated UNH five times this year, including once in the ECC Championships and twice at the NCAA Regional. 

Still, UNH won 19 of its final 26 games this season after reaching a low of four games under .500 on April 10 (10-14 record), propelling the Chargers to the fifth NCAA appearance in school history and the first under second-year head coach Jen Starek.