BETHLEHEM. PA (4/24/06) – Lisa Sweeney and Kate Arico pitched back-to-back shutouts as the Lehigh softball team clinched its eighth straight regular season Patriot League title defeating Colgate 3-0 and 1-0 Monday at Kaufman Field.

 

Lehigh (33-11, PL 15-1) has won 11 straight over the Raiders (13-22, PL 6-10) after sweeping the four-game series.

 

In the opener, Sweeney (22-3) pitched a five-hitter while striking out nine and walking none.  Lehigh scored all three of its runs in the third inning.  With two outs, Lauren Haney walked followed by Mary Wieder’s single and a walk to Julie Sterrett to load the bases.  Sweeney then delivered a three-run triple to right center for the winning runs.

 

Kelsey Nordstrom (Salina, KS) pitched a complete game for the Raiders giving up seven hits while walking three and striking out one.

 

Whitney Scott (Beaverton, OR) had a pair of hits for Colgate, while Calla Yee (Salinas, CA), Kim Olmstead (Spring Hill, FL) and LaPorscha Albert (Lewisville, TX) had one hit apiece.  Olmstead and Albert had doubles.

 

In the second game, Colgate’s Kate Howard (Wheaton, IL) and Arico hooked up in a classic pitching duel over eight innings. Howard allowed five hits while striking out five and walking three, while Arico yielded two hits, struck out nine and walked one.

 

Lehigh scored an unearned run in the eighth inning to win the game. Haney was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and was safe at second on a throwing error when Wieder bunted.  Sterrett’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and Haney scored the winning run on Taryn Hanley’s squeeze bunt.

 

Colgate had only one runner reach second base against Arico, who allowed only three base runners.  Scott had both of Colgate’s hits, and Albert walked in the fourth inning.

 

The Raiders will return to action on Saturday with a home doubleheader against Holy Cross – the first two of a four-game series against the Crusaders.