Game 6- Boston U. 1, Hartford 0 Box Score
Junior Robyn Horrick pitched a three-hitter and Jamie Haas tripled and scored the only run of the game as top-seeded Boston University defeated No. 2 seed Hartford, 1-0 at Post Field to win the America East Softball Championship and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship. It was the first championship for the Terriers since 1997. Boston University, 28-21, awaits the NCAA seedings for the 64-team tournament Sunday at 9 p.m. Hartford closes its season at 24-15-1.
Horrick, who was 2-0 with a save and allowed three hits and no runs in 17 innings in the championship, was named the Most Outstanding Player. Horrick had 10 strikeouts and did not issue a walk in the championship game.
Haas, the first rookie to win the America East Player of the Year award, led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple to center field and scored on a wild pitch by Hartford starter and loser Andi Miller (10-9). It was the first run allowed in the championship by Miller and ended a streak of 30.1-consecutive scoreless innings for the right-hander dating back to the regular season. Miller allowed seven hits in six innings and struck out nine without issuing a walk.
Horrick (13-6), the America East Pitcher of the Year, worked out of her only jam in the fifth inning. Monica Evrard led off with a triple to right center, but Horrick struck out Liz Borawski, Amy Sullivan and Bryn Weller to end the rally.
Horrick had not allowed a hit in her first two outings in the championship, a complete-game 3-0 win over Albany on Thursday and three innings of relief for her first save since 2000 in a 3-2 win over Hartford on Friday. Hartford's Ryan Williams ended that streak with a single to center field to lead off the game. The Hawks also had a leadoff single by Kim Schwimmer in the sixth inning.
Horrick was joined on the all-championship team by Haas, who was 6-for-11 and scored five of the Terriers' seven runs in the championship. Haas is now hitting a conference-leading .406 on the season. Others named to the all-championship team were Abbey Pauley and Julie Henneke of Boston University; Andi Miller, who was 2-1 with an 0.35 earned run average and 28 strikeouts in the championship, Liz Nadeau and Liz Borawski of Hartford; Sarah Maida and Megan Craft of Albany; and Erica Sobel and Candace Jaegge of Maine.
The Terriers, who were America East Champions in 1993, 1996 and 1997, made their only other appearance in the NCAA Championship in 1996, going 2-2 at a regional in Storrs, Conn.