St. Francis (IL) News
Thu, May 6, 2010 - [Softball]
Junior pitcher Kim Malacina fired a four-hit shutout vs. Trinity Christian to keep the Saints alive.
Junior pitcher Kim Malacina fired a four-hit shutout vs. Trinity Christian to keep the Saints alive.

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - Junior Kim Malacina (Lockport H.S./Homer Glen, Ill.) fired a four-hit shutout and struck out five batters as University of St. Francis staved off elimination with a 5-0 victory over Trinity Christian College Thursday afternoon in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Championship Tournament.

The Saints (22-25) lost a first-round game to Robert Morris University by a 4-3 score earlier in the day.

USF scored three runs in the top of the second inning against Trinity Christian (17-32) and never looked back. Sophomore third baseman Brittany Bochenek (Lockport H.S./Lockport, Ill.) drove home a pair of runs with a single and senior left fielder Maggie O'Shea (Wheeler H.S./Valparaiso, IN) then knocked in Bochenek one out later with a base hit.

The Saints added two more tallies in the fifth on a two-run single by junior catcher Carolyn Rupsis (Bolingbrook H.S./Bolingbrook, IL).

Rupsis and junior right fielder Kaylee Shell (Wilmington H.S./Wilmington, IL) each had three hits to lead USF's 12-hit attack. Senior second baseman Beth Boezeman (Lincoln-Way East H.S./Frankfort, IL) and O'Shea finished the TCC contest with two hits apiece.

USF let a 3-1 led get away in the morning game with Robert Morris (37-18). The Eagles tied the game in the fifth with an unearned run and then won the game in the seventh with another run that was unearned.

The Saints grabbed the 3-1 lead with a three-run third that featured an RBI single by Boezeman and a two-run double off the bat of senior first baseman Stacy Heap (Minooka H.S./Minooka, IL).

USF was held to just four hits in the game, with Heap leading the way on the strength of two doubles. Boezeman and O'Shea had the other two safeties.

USF will try to stay alive again Friday with a noon game against the winner of a 10 a.m. elimination between Judson University and Robert Morris. A Saints' win would put them into a 4 p.m. contest against the loser of the tourney's two unbeaten teams -- Saint Xavier and Olivet Nazarene -- who play each other at 2 p.m.