Game 1       Game 2

DOVER, DE (3/28/2010) – Jennifer Ortega (Aberdeen, N.J.) drove in three runs and Alana Dyson (Grovetown, Ga.) kept her lengthy hitting streak in tact as Colgate downed North Carolina Central 7-5 in its third game at the Sean Savage Epilepsy Awareness Tournament, Sunday morning.  The Raiders prevailed 5-2 over Howard in their final appearance to finish the tournament 3-1.

 Colgate, now 17-5 overall, scored in every inning except the seventh in the victory over the Eagles.  The Raiders pushed across the go ahead run in the top of the third and added some much needed insurance runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames.

 In the top of the first, Ortega blasted her fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left center to give the Raiders a quick 2-0 advantage,  The lead was upped to 3-0 in the second as Dyson executed a bunt single that scored Emmie Dolfi (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) from third.  That stretched the freshman's hitting streak to 14 games.

 After North Carolina Central answered with a three-run bottom of the second, Colgate recaptured the lead in the third on a two-out single by Dolfi that plated Nicole Siedhof (Canton, Pa.).  The Raiders moved ahead 5-3 in the fourth.  After Dyson belted a one-out triple, the freshman trotted home on a sacrifice fly to center by Ortega.

 Up 5-4 heading into the fifth, Colgate closed its scoring by generating two runs after two outs.  With runners on first and second, Amanda Zranchev (Budd Lake, N.J.) singled to drive in Brittany Hanrahan (Frankfort, Ill.) from second.  Melissa Babb-Renta (Glenview, Ill.) followed with a single to plate Dolfi.

 Courtney O'Connell (Palm Harbor, Fla.) pitched the final four innings giving up one earned run for her second collegiate victory.  The freshman, who entered in the fourth inning, fanned three batters to even her record.

 Colgate struck for its five runs in the second, third and fourth in the victory over the Bison.

 The Raiders took the lead for good in the top of the second as Stephanie Hartquist (Homer, N.Y.) belted a double to right.  Two batters later, the sophomore was brought home on a two-base hit to left center by Hanrahan.  The lead moved to 2-0 in the third as Dyson led off with a single up the middle to move her hitting streak to 15 games.  Ortega followed with a triple to right center to bring the freshman around from first.  

 In the top of the fourth, Hanrahan and Dolfi scored on a two run double to left center by Siedhof.  The junior came around for Colgate's final run on a single by Babb-Renta.  The senior was the lone multi-hit producer for the Raiders in the victory going two for four.  Howard posted its two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer.

 Michelle Hollebeke (North Reading, Mass.) went the distance on a five-hitter to improve to 9-2 on the season.  The sophomore allowed one earned run and two walks, while striking out four batters.

 Colgate returns to action next weekend as it opens the Patriot League portion of its schedule at Lehigh.  Doubleheaders at Kaufman Field begin at noon on Saturday and Sunday.  This is a match-up of the top two teams in the league preseason poll.