Cardinals Win 6-1 at Alvernia in ECAC South First-Round Game

Cardinals Win 6-1 at Alvernia in ECAC South First-Round Game

(May 12, 2010) -- Catholic University got all the scoring it needed from two home runs, and freshman Alyssa Corvino pitched a five-hitter to lead the Cardinals to a 6-1 victory at Alvernia University in the first round of the ECAC South Region Softball Championships in Reading, Pa., on Wednesday.

The fifth-seeded Cardinals advance to play at top-seeded Bethany (W.Va.) College, a 5-0 winner over the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, in the double elimination portion of the tournament Saturday at 10 a.m. Bethany is 33-13.

Megan Rizzi hit her team-leading fourth home run, a two-out shot to left center in the top of the first inning to put CUA (26-13) on top, 1-0, at Angelica Park. Kristen Trancynger added a solo homer in the second and the Cards scored two more runs in the third to lead 4-0.

Corvino (2-0), making just her third start of the season, struck out four and did not walk a batter. She set down the side in order in the fourth, fifth and seventh. The fourth-seeded Crusaders (22-15) scored their lone run on an RBI single by Dina Chiappelli in the sixth.

Trancynger went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice. Rookie teammate Taylor Stockinger was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and run. Rizzi (1-for-4) drove in her team-leading 43rd and 44th runs and came home two times.

The Cardinals’ Mel Galella (1-for-4) tripled with one out in the third and scored on one of Chiappelli’s two errors at shortstop. Tracey Scanlon rounded out CUA’s eight-hit attack and plated a run on a fielder’s choice in the fifth. The Redbirds played error-free ball.

Alvernia’s top two hitters, Janelle Lynch and Miranda Peto, went a combined 4-for-5 with two hits apiece.