March 1, 2007

Box Score

Raleigh, N.C. - One day after a teammate tossed a no-hitter, Liz Pittman duplicated the effort.

Pittman pitched a five-inning "no-no" and struck out 10 batters Thursday afternoon to lead The Rock to a 10-0 whitewashing of hosting Shaw University in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader.

Lindsay Rodgers gave Pittman more than enough offensive support when she smacked a three-run home run.

Danielle Abbarno's grand-slam home run helped propel SRU to a 12-2 win in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader.

Thursday's waltzes to wins were the fourth in as many Rock games this spring and gave the Green and White its best start in Vashion Johnson's seasons a head coach.

The Rock, which pounded out 26 hits in Wednesday's season-opening sweep of Johnson C. Smith University, collected 17 hits in Thursday's twinbill. SRU also received 11 bases on balls in Game 1.

Meghan McHenry was 2-for-2 complement Abbarno's bases-loaded blast in Game 1.

Lisa Getgen was the beneficiary of a nine-hit offensive attack, but she did her part as well. Getgen struck out seven, walked one and allowed two earned runs on three hits in six innings of pitching action.

Abbarno carried her hot stick into Game 2 as she collected two of The Rock's eight hits, while Courtney Conron -- who pitched a no-hitter in Wednesday's season-opening game -- smacked a triple.

Courtney Vincent continued her basestealing mastery on Thursday as she swiped six bases. She now has 10 SBs after only four games; the school record is 16 set by Shannon Tagliaferri in 2004.

The Rock is idle until Wednesday, March 9, when it will visit Columbia Union University in Takoma Park, Md., for a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.

SRU visits Shepherd University (W. Va.) for a noon doubleheader the following day before heading for the Rebel Games in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Rock will play eight games in five days (March 12-16) in the Sunshine State before returning to the north for four more road games (two each at Bowie State (Md.) and Howard University (Washington, D.C.).

After playing its first 20 games on the road, SRU opens its home schedule with a March 27 doubleheader vs. Ursuline College (Ohio).

Notes: The Rock has averaged 10 runs and 11 hits in its first four games this spring ... Prior to this year, the best start by a Johnson-coached Rock squad were 2-2 marks in 2004 and 2005. The Rock won a school-record 23 games in 2005 (23-17 final record) after carving out a 15-27 mark in Johnson's inaugural season as SRU's head coach ... A year ago, SRU opened its season with a 1-3 record en route to a 20-24 final record ... Prior to last season, The Rock had never had back-to-back, 20-win seasons.