VanBrakle Carries Tide Softball to Win Over CS-Northridge
2/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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LOS ANGELES, CA-University of Alabama freshman Stephanie VanBrakle made her collegiate pitching debut a memorable one as she helped lead the No. 22 ranked (USA Today/NFCA) Crimson Tide (2-1) to a 3-0 victory over the CS-Northridge Matadors.
VanBrakle (1-0) struck out five batters en route to a three-hit shutout while also collecting her first collegiate home run. VanBrakle allowed only four base runners none of which advanced further than second base. She also closed out the game retiring 14 of the last 15 Northridge batters.
After three and a half innings of scoreless ball, the Crimson Tide finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Lacy Prejean led off the inning with a single and came around to score when Dominique Accetturo took a 2-2 pitch and sent it down the right field line for a triple scoring Prejean and giving the Tide a 1-0 lead.
Bama added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth by virtue of back-to-back home runs from Prejean and VanBrakle. Prejean led off the inning and sent a 1-0 pitch off the top of the netting on the scoreboard for her ninth career home run and a 2-0 Alabama lead. VanBrakle followed and took the first pitch she saw and hit it off the scoreboard as well for her first collegiate home run while extending the lead to 3-0.
Prejean and Accetturo paced the Tide offense, both players going 2-3 at the plate. Prejean scored two runs while Accetturo collected the game-winning RBI.
Bama has now shutout the Matadors in the only two meetings between the two schools dating back to the 2000 season when Alabama won 1-0 meeting.
The Tide will close out Day 2 action at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial tournament with a match-up against top-ranked and host school UCLA. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 Pacific Coast Time and live stats will be available at www.rolltide.com.
