ORONO, Maine -- Boston University's Erica Casacci picked the perfect time for her first career home run. The sophomore second baseman blasted a third inning three-run shot in the winner's bracket final of the 2010 America East Softball Championship against Maine Friday at Kessock Field to lead her team to a 5-1 victory and a berth in the conference title game for the second straight year.
The top-seeded Terriers will face third-seeded Stony Brook in the championship game on Saturday at 12 p.m. after senior Alyssa Struzenberg fired a pair of shutouts to send the Seawolves to the title game for the second time in three seasons. Stony Brook eliminated Albany with a 1-0 victory, then did the same to Maine in the loser's bracket final by the identical score.
In the first game of the day, Boston U. (33-19) took control of the contest in the third. Freshman Taylor Cowan, an America East all-rookie choice, led off with a double and later advanced to third. After senior Rachel Hebert was hit by a pitch, Casacci, who had a career-high three hits to go with three RBI, a run scored and two steals, crushed a changeup to deep right. The blast hit off the top of the fence and went over to give the Terriers a 3-0 advantage.
Maine (23-28), the No. 2 seed, bounced back with one in the top of the fourth on all-conference second baseman Alexis Souhlaris' sixth longball of the season. The Black Bears threatened for more by after a double by senior Whitney Spangler and a base hit from senior Kristen Calvetti, but senior Cassidi Hardy got junior Kali Burnham to pop out to short.
The Terriers added single runs in the fourth and sixth and Hardy was stellar the rest of the way. The league's Pitcher of the Year scattered eight hits, walked none and struck out seven in picking up her 19th victory of the season.
In game two, Stony Brook (31-20-1) scored the lone run of the game on Crista Cerrone's leadoff homer in the second. The senior left fielder crushed Leah McIntosh's delivery to left and Struzenberg made the 1-0 lead hold up. Albany (20-23), the No. 4 seed, managed just five hits off Struzenberg, a senior first-team all-conference pitcher, who went the distance and struck out nine.
The nightcap went scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Stony Brook freshman Shannon O'Shea led off the frame with a single to left. After she was erased on a fielder's choice, Crista Cerrone advanced to second and scored on a two-out lined single to right by senior Katelyn O'Donnell, which gave the Seawolves a 1-0 lead. Struzenberg then mowed down the side in order in the seventh to complete her second shutout of the day and 10th of the season. She surrendered just three hits to the Black Bears and fanned three to earn her league-leading 22nd win of the year.
Should Stony Brook beat Boston U. at noon tomorrow, the two teams would play again for the league title and subsequent NCAA berth at 2:30 p.m. Boston U. is looking to become the first No. 1 seed to win the America East title since 2005, while Stony Brook can be the first team to lose its tournament opener and win four straight en route to the league crown since Hofstra in 1999.