03/03/2008
Softball Improves to 3-1 During Spring Week

FORT MYERS, FLA. 03/03/08 - The Clark University softball team improved its spring week record to 3-1 with wins over Rockford College (Ill.) (7-2) and St. Josephs College of Maine (13-5) on Monday afternoon.

Clark trailed 2-1 in the top of the fifth in the opener. The Cougars tied it up (2-2) in the frame after Heather Warren knocked home Marla Houghton, who reached after being hit by a pitch, with an RBI double.

Rockford had a chance to snap the tie in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and runners at first and second, first-year Sarah Carter relieved starter Chelsea Proulx to get Rockford's three-hole hitter to groundout to second base for the final out.

The Cougars were able to break the game open with a five-run sixth inning. After plating two runs on a pair of Rockford errors to make it 4-2, Julie Parnell cracked a two-out three-run homer to extend Clarks lead (7-2) and account for the final score.

Parnell led Clark with one hit and three RBI in the win. Warren and Marla Houghton chipped in with single hits.

Proulx started for Clark on the mound. She allowed two runs on two hits and struck out two and walked two in 4.2 innings. Carter, who earned her second win of the season, surrendered two hits and didn't allow a run in 2.1 innings of work.

In the nightcap, the Cougars were down 4-0 in the bottom of the second, but erupted for six runs in the frame to take a 6-4 lead. Julie Murry and Proulx delivered RBI singles, and Lauren Blake and Warren produced an RBI walk and sacrifice fly, respectively, while a two-run single from Darcy Kurashige-Elliot highlighted the uprising.

The Monks answered with a lead-off homerun in the following inning, but that would not be enough, as Clark scored four more runs in the fourth - including Proulx's first homerun of the season and Warrens third - and three in the sixth to secure the victory.

Warren, who picked up her first win on the mound, went two-for-three with five RBI, while Kurashige-Elliot went two-for-four with four RBI to lead Clark.

Clark will play Tri-State University (Ind.) at 3 p.m. and Dominican University (Ill.) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.