Salem, Va. - Stacey Struzynski tossed a six-hitter and struck out five batters and Amanda Wilhelm doubled in the game-winning run in the fifth inning to lead #6 Winona State to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over #12 Le Moyne College on Saturday afternoon in an elimination game of the 2009 NCAA Division II Softball Championships at the Moyer Complex.
Le Moyne opened the scoring in the second inning with a run on two hits. Freshman shortstop Barb Shea (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) reached base on a bunt single to third base with one out. After moving to second on a wild pitch, Shea came around to score the game's first run on a double to left center by senior third baseman Caitlin O'Neill (Pittsford, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy).
Winona State took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with two runs on three hits and an error. Shortstop Callie Givens led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a foul out down the left field line by Jenny Wilmes. Right fielder Terra Halron, who became the Warriors' all-time hits leader in the first inning with her 263rd, singled through the left side to plate Givens. Amanda Stuedemann then reached on an error by the third baseman to push Halron to second base. Second baseman Wilhelm then doubled off O'Neill's glove down the left field line to plate Halron, while Stuedemann was thrown out at home plate to end the inning and the rally.
Struzynski improved to 28-6 on the season in yielding just one run. Sophomore pitcher Jenna Vanacore (Hicksville, N.Y./Holy Trinity) was the tough-luck loser for the Dolphins, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits, while striking out three batters. O'Neill, playing her program-best 215th career game, closed out her collegiate career with two hits in the contest to increase her career total to 199, the fifth-highest total in the program's history.
Le Moyne (45-13), which made its fifth appearance at the NCAA Championships in the last eight years, closes out the season with the third-most wins in the program's history.
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