Game 3- Boston U. 3, Hartford 2 Box Score
Game 4- Albany 4, Maine 0 Box Score
Game 5- Hartford 2, Albany 0 Box Score
Senior Andi Miller tossed a one-hitter for her second shutout of the America East Championship and tied the tournament record with 12 strikeouts as Hartford defeated Albany, 2-0, at Post Field. With the win, the Hawks, 24-14-1, advance to the conference championship game vs. Boston University on Saturday. Hartford, which dropped a 3-2 decision to the Terriers in Friday's first game, would have to defeat Boston University twice to win its first championship and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship. The Terriers need just one win for their first championship since 1997.
Albany defeated Maine, 4-0, in Friday's second game before dropping the decision to the Hawks.
In Friday's first game, junior Robyn Horrick extended her streak of consecutive innings without allowing a hit to 10 and sophomore Nichole Kurker had a single to drive in two runs as top-seeded Boston University defeated No. 2 seed Hartford, 3-2, at Post Field to advance to the America East Softball Championship game.
Horrick, who pitched a no-hitter in the 3-0 win over Albany on Thursday in the opening game of the four-team, double-elimination tournament, came on in relief of starter Julie Henneke and struck out six and walked three in earning her first save since 2000. Henneke (9-4) allowed two runs on three hits, striking out eight and walking two.
Kurker broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning with a one-out single up the middle to score Jamie Haas and Abbey Pauley, who had back-to-back singles to lead off the inning.
The Hawks pulled within 3-2 in the fourth inning when Bryn Weller was issued a two-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kim Schwimmer's single put runners on the corners and Henneke issued her second wild pitch of the inning to score Weller before striking out Monica Hayes to end the rally.
The Terriers had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Haas, the America East Player of the Year, doubled to left to start the inning and advanced to third when Pauley singled through the left side of the infield. Henneke then bunted and reached on a fielder's choice when the Hawks were unable to get Haas at the plate.
Hartford tied it in the bottom of the first when Ryan Williams led off with an infield single, advanced to second on a passed ball and was sacrificed to third. Liz Nadeau tripled to left center to score Williams before Henneke struck out Monica Evrard and Amy Sullivan to end the inning.
The Hawks had two opportunities to tie in the fifth and sixth innings. Nadeau worked a two-out walk in the fifth and stole second, but Horrick got Evrard to strike out swinging. Walks to Liz Borawski and Weller sandwiched around a sacrifice, gave the Hawks runners at first and second with one out in the sixth. But Horrick struck out Schwimmer and Hayes to thwart that rally. She then retired the side in order in the seventh.
Nadeau (9-8) allowed three runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four for the Hawks.
Haas, who was 2-for-4, raised her conference leading average to .412.
In Friday's second game, senior Sarah Maida pitched a three-hit complete game as fourth-seeded Albany defeated Maine, 4-0, in an elimination game. Maida (18-8) scattered three hits while striking out four and walking two. She did not allow a Black Bear runner past second base.
Albany, in its first year in America East, got all the runs it would need in the second inning when Jen Nolette singled to score Stacy Kowal, who had reached on an infield single and advanced to third on a throwing error.
The Great Danes added three runs in the third inning off Maine starter Jenna Merchant (17-11), who was pitching with a stress fracture in her foot. Brittany Burnham led off with a single and scored on a triple to left-center by Liz Wieboldt. Megan Craft then plated Wieboldt with a single to center field, chasing Merchant, who allowed six hits in 2.1 innings. Craft advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt and moved to third on a wild pitch. Stacy Kowal walked and the Great Danes then executed a double steal as Craft scored.
Candace Jaegge, who relieved Merchant, did not allow a hit while striking out three and walking one in 3.2 innings of relief for Maine, 26-31.
The Great Danes, who were no-hit by Boston University's Robyn Horrick in their first game in the America East Championship Thursday, wasted no time getting their first hit against Maine as Valerie Terry led off the bottom of the first inning with a single down the left field line.
In the third game, Miller (10-6) limited the Great Danes, who were playing their second-straight game in the loser's bracket, to a two-out single by Jess Kostenblatt in the fourth inning. She walked two and tied the strikeout mark set by Erin Phillips of Hofstra against Vermont in 1996. Miller, who tossed her fourth-straight shutout overall, has now gone 30.1 innings without allowing a run.
Hartford broke a scoreless tie on RBI singles by Mallory Rapoza and Nadeau in the fifth inning. Albany starter and loser Kristin Couris (7-11), who allowed two runs on one hit in 4.1 innings, issued a leadoff walk to Schwimmer to start the inning. Suzie Prue pinch-ran for Schwimmer and was sacrificed to second. Couris then issued her sixth walk of the game to Ryan Williams and was lifted for Maida, who in the previous game Friday had pitched the Great Danes to a 4-0 win over Maine. Maida was greeted by Rapoza's single to left field to score Prue and Nadeau followed with a single to plate Williams.
Miller, who did not allow an Albany runner past second base, worked her way out of any possible trouble in the fourth inning when she issued a two-out walk to Wieboldt and a single by Kosteblatt before striking out Craft to end the rally. She did not allow the Great Danes, 30-20, a runner the rest of the game.
Pitching will likely be theme again Saturday as Hartford has allowed a total of three runs in three games while junior Robyn Horrick of Boston University, the America East Pitcher of the Year, has yet to allow a hit in 10 innings in the America East Championship. Horrick pitched a no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Albany in the first game of the four-team, double-elimination tournament on Thursday and pitched three innings of no-hit relief while earning a save in the 3-2 win over Hartford on Friday.
The Terriers, who were America East Champions in 1993, 1996 and 1997, made their only appearance in the NCAA Championship in 1996. The Hawks have never been to the NCAA Championship.