Strong Pitching Gives No. 20 Rowan Sweep of Swat Softball, 5-0 and 2-0
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - No. 20 Rowan used two strong pitching performances - including a five-inning no-hitter from starting pitcher Jamie Minix in Game 2 - as the Profs swept the Swarthmore College softball team 5-0 and 2-0 on Thursday evening from Clothier Field.
Despite the losses, it wasn't all bad news for the Garnet (18-20, 9-5), as the team clinched a spot in the upcoming Centennial Conference playoffs due to Ursinus' sweep of Haverford.
Perch finished the first game with two hits.
In the first game, Swat managed seven hits - including two hits each from senior Michele Perch and freshman Danielle Seltzer - but the Garnet stranded 11 runners on base in a 5-0 defeat.
After scoring two runs in the top of the first inning off of started freshman Isabel Sanchez (4-8), the Garnet kept the Profs off the board until the sixth inning. With two runners on following back-to-back hits to start the inning, Rowan's Julie Leskanic smashed a three-run home run off of Sanchez, making it a 5-0 game.
Sanchez took the loss for Swat, allowing five earned runs while striking out one. Erika Knorr (3-1) picked up the win for the Profs.
In the Game 2, the story was Minix (14-3), who finished the rain-shortened game with a five-inning no hitter of the Garnet.
Rowan's Nicolina Veneziano knocked in the game's only two runs with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
Senior Kathryn Riley (12-9) took the loss for the Garnet, striking out three over six innings. The loss snaps a seven-consecutive winning streak for Riley from the mound.
Swarthmore closes out the regular season this Saturday with a doubleheader at Haverford, beginning at 1:00 p.m.