HAMILTON, N.Y. (4/30/06) – Senior right-hander Kate Howard (Wheaton, IL) was the winning pitcher in both games as the Colgate softball team swept Holy Cross College (9-35, PL 4-16) in a Patriot League doubleheader for the second straight day at the Eaton Street Field.  The Raiders won the opener 4-0 before taking an 8-5 decision in the nightcap.

 

With the sweep, Colgate (17-22, PL 10-10) has qualified for the four-team Patriot League double-elimination tournament to be held at Lehigh University on May 12-14.  The Raiders have made the tournament a league-record 16 straight times, and will be the third-seed.

 

Howard, one of three Colgate players making their final home appearances on Senior Day, threw a two-hit shutout in the opener.  She struck out four and walked two for her 15^th career shutout.

 

Howard won her personal-best 14^th game of the season in the nightcap, when she replaced Colgate starter Kelsey Nordstrom (Salina, KS) in the second inning with Colgate trailing 3-0.  She worked five innings allowing four hits, two runs, while striking out three and walking three.

 

In the opener, Colgate jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Whitney Scott (Beaverton, OR) and LaPorscha Albert (Lewisville, TX).  The Raiders scored three runs in the second inning for a 4-0 lead.

 

Tiana Tyeskey (Granite Bay, CA) doubled to lead off the second, and after moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, came home on Kortney Hannah’s (Vacaville, CA) squeeze bunt.  Hannah later scored on a Holy Cross throwing error, and Erin Hanna (Tucson, AZ) scored on Scott’s RBI single.

 

Tyeskey and Scott had two hits apiece for the Raiders, who finished with seven hits off Holy Cross pitcher Natalie Cruz.

 

In the nightcap, the Raiders had to come-from-behind for the third time in the four-game series against the Crusaders.

 

Holy Cross scored three runs in the first inning, before Howard entered the contest at the start of the second inning.  The Raiders scored once in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Tyeskey, and added their second run in the following inning on Hannah’s first collegiate home run over the left field fence.

 

The game turned for the Raiders in the fourth inning when they scored five runs for a 7-3 lead.  Meg Mylan (Upper Montclair, NJ) had an RBI single, Brandy Godfrey (Eastman, GA) drilled a two-run single, and two runs came in on fielding errors by the Crusaders.

 

Colgate added its eighth run in the fifth inning on Tyeskey’s double, before Holy Cross tallied a pair in the sixth inning.

 

Colgate has a non-conference doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday, May 3 at Siena College.

 

GAME NOTES – Albert had her 15^th double of the season which ties for second place in single-season doubles.  She has 25 in her career for ninth place all-time … Howard has struck out a personal-best 96 batters this season.