MILWAUKEE (May 6, 2005) -- Edgewood College (27-13) successfully advanced through the first round of the 2005 Lake Michigan Conference softball tournament with a 5-0 win over Alverno College (13-23) on Friday. The double-elimination tourney is being played at the Milwaukee School of Engineering Athletic Field.

All four games scheduled for Saturday were delayed approximately three hours due to rain earlier in the day. The Eagles will now face Marian College (26-14) at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 to decide which team advances to the championship round. The loser will face the winner of Alverno versus Concordia University (17-17) -- that game is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Edgewood, the defending LMC tournament champion, scored two runs in the first inning and three runs in the bottom of the second in racing out to a 5-0 lead. The 5-0 margin proved to be the eventual outcome, as freshmen pitchers Amy Bahler (Monroe, Wis.) and Jessica Courchaine (Marathon, Wis.) combined for a one-hit shutout.

Bahler handled a bulk of the duties in the pitcher's circle. In five complete innings she allowed just one hit and struck out five. Courchaine walked the first batter she faced but settled down to hold the Inferno to two base runners the rest of the way.

Jessica Stephens (St. Charles, Ill.) batted 2-for-3 with two runs, including a two-out, RBI double in the second inning. Katie Hensgen (Waunakee, Wis.) was 1-for-3 and drove in two runs with a single in the bottom of the first.

Arguably, the two top pitchers in the league will more than likely go head-to-head tomorrow. Edgewood's probable starter against the Sabres is Brittany Butcher (St. Charles, Ill.), while Marian is likely to retaliate with Julie Skenandore. The Eagles took both games of a doubleheader in the regular season series with Marian, coming out on the winning end of two one-run ball games in Fond du Lac.