April 30, 2011
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Coming down the stretch of the 2011 season, Siena softball needed a big showing in western New York Saturday at Niagara. The Saints got just that, riding two stellar pitching performances from Jessika - Jo Sandrini and Amanda Filippazzo en route to 4-1 and 4-0 victories.
Siena (18-23, 6-6 MAAC) scored runs in four consecutive innings in the opener, and it was more than enough as Sandrini went the distance against the Purple Eagles. She scattered just three hits over seven innings for her historic 11th win of the season. With the victory, the freshman ties the single-season record for wins by a Siena softball pitcher, one currently held by Tara Campbell '06.
Shannon Jones went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and an RBI single to lead the offensive effort. Mandy Ferro and Lindsey McKeever also drove in runs, while the entire lineup showed patience, drawing nine walks in seven innings.
It would take a fantastic effort in the circle to top the first outing, but Amanda Filippazzo did just that in the nightcap. The junior was brilliant, allowing just one hit in a complete-game shutout. Filippazzo took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but it was broken up by Kristin Sito's double.
Back-to-back RBI doubles by Jones and Ferro in the third inning staked the Saints to a lead they would never relinquish. McKeever added insurance with an RBI double of her own in the fourth, while the day's final run would score on a sacrifice fly by Jones in the seventh.
With the two wins, Siena moves to .500 in MAAC play, and advances to tie the Purple Eagles fifth in the nine-team league with four games left to play. The Saints return to Loudonville for a huge Senior Day twinbill against fourth-place Iona on Saturday, looking to close a one-game gap in the standings.
