Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Friday, April 23, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Softball

Devils clinch playoff berth on record-setting day

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Fredonia State clinched a SUNYAC playoff berth Friday on what turned out to be a record-setting day.

The Blue Devils (23-11, 12-6) set a school record for wins in a season with a 1-0 10-inning victory over Plattsburgh in the first game of a doubleheader.

The 23 wins -- two more than the 2001 team -- also included a 4-2 victory in the second game of the twinbill.

Freshman right-hander Casey Mazurek (Dunkirk/Dunkirk) had a win and a save on the afternoon. Her complete-game, 3-hit shutout in the first game was her 12th victory this season (12-4). That ties Stephanie Saviola's single-season school record for wins (2001, 2002).

Mazurek also pitched a scoreless inning in the nightcap to nail down the win for Aimee Hammill (Lewiston/Niagara Catholic), who improved to 6-0. Hammill is a freshman left-hander.

The Blue Devils and Cardinals (18-17, 10-6) battled through nine scoreless innings in the first game before the issue was decided. According to the tiebreaker rule, a runner was placed on second base at the start of the inning. For Fredonia, it was Kim Menth (Tonawanda/Tonawanda). She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Mazurek, and scored the lone run on a sacrifice fly to right by Nikki Prentice (Frewsburg/Frewsburg).

Plattsburgh was able to move its runner to third with one out in the last of the 10th. Mazurek pitched out of the jam with a strikeout -- her 10th of the game -- and a pop to first.

In the second game, the Blue Devils trailed 2-0 before rallying for three runs in the fifth inning. Singles by Prentice and Angela Coraci (Auburn/Union Springs) proceeded a sacrifice bunt by Amanda Drummond (Dunkirk/Dunkirk). Amanda Waite (Dunkirk/Dunkirk) followed with an RBI single. Andrea Carlson (Forestville/Pine Valley) plated the tying run with a grounder to shortstop. The go-ahead run scored on an error.

The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the sixth inning on singles by Jessica Haefner (Hamburg/Frontier) and Ashley Gierszewski (Angola/Lake Shore) and a run-producing groundout by Mazurek.

Hammill allowed four hits over six innings. She walked one and only one of the runs she allowed was earned.

The Blue Devils are back in action Saturday at Potsdam and will look to enhance their seed in the six-team SUNYAC playoff format. They entered the day fourth in the conference standings.

Athletics Home | Fredonia Home