The Daily Campus

Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Dan Gindraux Julie Towers, pictured here last season, was named to the Madri Gras Invitational All-Tournament team.

The UConn softball team opened their season this past weekend at the Mardi Gras Invitational, held in Lafayette, La. The Huskies went 1-3 in the tournament, in which they competed against out of conference opponents San Diego State, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Kentucky.

The Huskies had a disappointing first day, losing both games in their double header. In the first game, the Huskies fell to San Diego State in a close game. The final score was 2-0, the difference coming in the fifth inning when San Diego State got their three hits of the ballgame off Connecticut pitcher Tricia Sullivan (1-1), scoring two runs and putting the Aztecs on top for good.

The second game was also close throughout, although the final score doesn't reflect this well. The Huskies lost in 10 innings to the host team Louisiana-Lafayette by a score of 9-4. Sophomore Julie Towers scored on senior Sarah Neuschwanders RBI fielders choice in the bottom of the 7th to tie the game at 4-4 and force extra innings. The score would remain tied at 4 until the 10th inning, when the Ragin' Cajuns finally broke through against Huskies pitcher Rachael Crossin (0-2) scoring 5 runs in the frame and putting the game out of reach.

The Huskies came back in day two of the tournament, winning their first game of the season by beating Kentucky 5-4. The victory didn't come easily, however, as Kentucky threatened with the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the 7th. But the comeback fell short when senior Micah Truax snagged a deep fly ball at the warning track to record the final out and preserve the win for the Huskies.

The momentum from the win wouldn't last through the last day of competition however, as Kentucky would take their revenge in the rematch

the next day. The Wildcats overcame a leadoff home run from Julianne

Towers with two quick runs of their own in the first to take an early 2-1

lead. They would extend that lead to 4-1 in the third when two runs

scored on a Rachel Crossin wild pitch. The Huskies would cut into that

lead in the top of the 6th when Micah Truax hit a two run shot to make it

a 4-3 game, but that's as close as the Huskies would get. Kentucky's

Erika Silence would go deep in the next inning to make the score 5-3, and

the Huskies were unable to get any runners across the plate in the 7th

despite several opportunities.

Following the tournament, Huskies second baseman Julianne Towers was

named to the All-Tournament team. Towers earned the honor by going 6-13

for the tournament, with a home run and four runs scored. Towers also

recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, handling everything that

came her way over the weekend.

The Huskies have the week off and will be back in action March 6-8th at

the South Florida tournament, where they will face St. Bonaventure,

Loyola-Chicago and Evansville.

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