RELEASE DATE: 5/8/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MOUNTIES WIN TWICE TO EARN SPOT IN ECAC TITLE GAME – JACKIE LASKOWSKI HITS GRAND SLAM IN OPENER – MARTINO STRIKES OUT NINE IN NIGHTCAP

GARDEN CITY, NY – Jackie Laskowski (Olyphant/Mid Valley) hit a grand slam in the opener and Amy Martino (Binghamton,NY/Chenango Valley) struck out nine in the winner’s bracket game to lead Mansfield University to a berth in the ECAC Division II Title game with an opening day 4-1 win over Teikyo-Post and 5-2 win over Adelphi University Saturday.

In the opener, the Mountaineers trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the third inning when Tricia Bailey (Canton/Canton) doubled to left and Nancy Quinn reached on an error. Pitcher Alison Tagliaferri (Linden/Jersey Shore) then walked to load the bases with two outs. Laskowski then crushed the first pitch over the right field fence to drive in all the runs the Mountaineers would need. Alison Tagliaferri picked up her eighth win of the season scattering four hits and striking out two. Kristen Dean (Roaring Branch/Canton) picked up the save striking out all three batters she faced in the seventh.

In the winner’s bracket game, Adelphi scored twice in the top of the first before Mansfield rallied to tie the game with two runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, Laskowski doubled and was driven in on a double by Heather Long (Pottstown/Pottsgrove). Kris Kelly (Nineveh,NY/Afton) then doubled in Long to tie the score.

One inning later, Tricia Bailey led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run over the centerfield fence to give Mansfield a 3-2 lead. That lead would prove to be enough for Amy Martino who settled down over the first inning to strike out nine batters while scattering four hits in going the distance.

Mansfield will now face the winner of Adelphi-Georgian Court game at noon in the ECAC Championship game. If Mansfield would lose, they would play again right after the noon game for the championship.

ECAC CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES – Kristen Dean made her first appearance since April 9 when she suffered an eye injury against East Stroudsburg. Dean responded to her return by striking out the side in the seventh inning against Teikyo-Post to earn a save … Jackie Laskowski hit the first grand slam of her collegiate career for the winning hit against Teikyo-Post. Laskowski now has a career record 17 home runs … Canton’s Tricia Bailey went 4-6 with a double, home run and RBI in the first day of the tournament … Alison Tagliaferri, who was the winning pitcher in game one, was 3-5 on the day … Laskowski was 3-6 on the afternoon with a double, home run and five RBI.

GAME ONE

Teikyo Post     100      000      0          1-4-1

Mansfield         004      000      x          5-5-1

Teikyo Post (27-19-1): Crista Holtom (L) and Krissy Tarallo

2b – Erin McKenna     RBI – Melissa Czeremcha

Mansfield (25-14): Alison Tagliaferri (W, 8-4), Kristen Dean (7) (s-1) and Nancy Quinn

2b – Tricia Bailey        HR – Jackie Laskowski (7)

RBI – Laskowski 4

GAME TWO

Adelphi            200      000      0          2-4-0

Mansfield         021      002      x          5-9-1

Adelphi (27-20): Carla Buonviaggio and Kristina LoCastro

2b – Theresa Kotulak, Amy Delmore RBI – Kotulak

Mansfield (26-14): Amy Martino (7-3) and Sytiva Seitz

2b – Laskoswki, Heather Long, Kris Kelly      HR – Tricia Bailey (1)

RBI – Bailey, Laskowski, Long, Kelly