AMHERST, Mass.— Manda Cash struck out a career-high 11 and Gabrielle Snyder drove in a career-high four to lead top-seeded Dayton to an 8-4 victory over fifth-seeded La Salle in an elimination game in the A-10 Softball Championship at Sortino Field Friday afternoon.
Dayton (38-13) advances to face George Mason (23-28) at 5:15 p.m. in the consolation semifinal game. The winner will advance to Saturday’s championship game to face No. 3 Fordham, winner of the early semifinal game.
Cash (12-2) allowed just five hits and retired 11 consecutive through the middle innings as the A-10 Rookie of the Year evened her championship record to 1-1.
Kathryn Hess led the Flyers with three hits as the two-through-five batters combined for eight of their 13 hits. Snyder and A-10 Player of the Year Tiffany Ricks had two hits each. Kennedy Haynes scored twice and had two hits also.
La Salle struck first, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the second on a Mackenzie Obert home run to left. It was the sophomore’s first hit of the championship in eight plate appearances. Suzanne Swanicke scored on the play after working a walk to open the frame.
Dayton came right back with some power of its own as Ricks led off the Flyers’ half with of the second with a solo shot to left center. The senior first baseman added to her league-leading homer total with her 13th of the season.
The Flyers put some pressure on the Explorer defense an inning later, loading the bases with one out before Snyder lined a double to the gap in left center, scoring Haynes, Natalie Mariano and Hess.
UD stretched their lead to 7-2 with three more in the fourth. Haynes hit a single to right that landed just in front of Kendra Hayer as Kayla Haberstich scored from third after opening the inning with a double. Hess connected on a double to left center that allowed Haynes and Jaclyn Kweder to cross home.
Cash was cruising along in the circle before Hagarty doubled to right in the sixth. Hagarty later scored from third on Swanicke’s single through the left side to cut the deficit to 7-3. Valerie Pineiro doubled over Kweder’s head in center, plating Christina Bascara – who had reached on a two-out error – to make it a 7-4 contest. But the Explorers stranded a pair in scoring position when Alicia Aughton grounded out to short.
La Salle (15-22), who entered the championship with two wins in four previous appearances in the season-ending tournament, won twice this week defeating No. 6 St. Bonaventure and No. 2 Saint Louis.