UMASS And Virginia Tech Pick Up First Round Victories On First Day Of Atlantic 10 Softball

Sophomore Ashlee Dobbe pitches no-hitter in Hokie win

AMHERST, Mass. (May 11) - The No. 1 seed UMass and the No. 2 seed Virginia Tech both

picked up victories today in first-round action of the 2000 Bell

Atlantic/Atlantic 10 Softball Championship. The Minutewomen downed the No.

4 seed Temple 10-1 in the first game, while the Hokies defeated the No. 3

seed Dayton 4-0 in the second game of the day. UMass will next square off

with Virginia Tech tomorrow at noon, while the Flyers and Owls will face

off at approximately 2 p.m.

In game one, UMass freshman Emily Robustelli (Stamford, Conn.) tied a

championship individual record of three runs, after going 2-for-3 with one

RBI in the Minutewoman victory. UMass sophomore Teri Rooney (Visalia,

Calif.) was also strong at the plate today with a perfect 2-for-2 outing,

including three RBI and two runs scored. Minutewomen sophomore Cherra

Wheeler (Kingsburg, Calif.) and freshman Brandi Cross (Diamond Bar, Calif.)

added two RBI each in the win.

The game was tied at 1-1 after the first, but UMass went on a scoring

frenzy in the second and third innings, recording nine runs during that

period to end the game in the fifth due to the mercy rule. Temple's Christy

Ragan (Coatesville, Pa.) drove in the lone run for the Owls in the first

inning, which plated sophomore Chrissy Pearson (Hellertown, Pa.). UMass

pitcher Jen Hadley (Bristol, Conn.) went the distance on the mound,

striking out five batters, while allowing two hits and walking one in five

innings pitched.

Virginia Tech sophomore Ashlee Dobbe (North Vancouver, B.C.) pitched a

no-hitter in the Hokie's victory over the Flyers in the second game. Dobbe

struck out seven batters, while allowing no hits and walking one in seven

innings pitched. Freshman Carmen Farmer (Richmond, Va.) paced the Virginia

Tech squad at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run scored, while junior

Bronwyn Blair (Virginia Beach, Va.) went 1-for-3 with one run scored.

The Hokies took a 3-0 lead in the third inning and increased their

advantage to four in the fifth inning. Dayton pitcher Sara Hatcher

(Bellefontaine, Ohio) came away with the loss on the mound, despite

striking out nine batters, while allowing three hits and walking none in

six innings.

Temple University Athletics