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Big East Conference Hoya Saxa

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No Place Like Home?

April 30, 2006

Last Monday, I had the opportunity to see the last homestand in the first year of the Hoya softball team. As you might expect in a brand-spanking new program with unrecruited players -- two-thirds of whom are freshmen and sophomores -- winning has not been a common occurrence. Happily, the team was hosting a doubleheader versus Coppin State at the ball field closest to the Georgetown campus: GW's Mt. Vernon campus.

Pitching and catching for the Blue & Gray in the first game were two high school battery mates from Choate Rosemary Hall, frosh Courtney Clark and soph Brittany Sonnichsen. A group of Hoya fans, including a few parents, students, and


Soph outfielder Katharine Lang advanced the winning run with her sacrifice bunt

Head coach Pat Conlon provides direction to freshman shortstop Katherine Incantalupo who scored the winning run in the opening game

athletic department staff, gathered and cheered from behind the plate. That's where I met attorney and NJ judge Warren Clark, pater to Courtney and a Hoya convert, given his running pedigree on the Villanova varsity during the heyday of Wildcat track coach Jumbo Elliott. Remembering my own visits back then to the Villanova campus with the Hoya lacrosse team, we exchanged tales of Jake Nevin, their leprechaun trainer, and of the old Villanova field house, later named in Jake's honor.

The twinbill had been rescheduled from the previous Saturday when inclement weather led to postponing

Villanova trainer Jake Nevin

Cheering on the Hoya rally from the dugout


the contests. For lead-off pitcher Courtney, that turned out to be a lucky day, as best-selling novelist Mary Higgins Clark happened to be flying home to New Jersey following a book signing in the metro DC area. The young Hoya hurler hitched a ride with her grandmother and joined her family on Sunday for a Mets game where she sat right behind superstar singer Beyonce. Back at Georgetown on Monday, Courtney did not miss a beat as she and her teammates came from behind and held off Coppin State 2-1 in the first of two victories that day. It's true, there is no place like home.

Pitcher Courtney and catcher Brittany celebrate the Hoya victory

Hoya, Hoya Saxa! Hoya, Hoya Georgetown Softball! Hoya Courtney Clark!


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Players Mentioned

Katherine Incantalupo

#33 Katherine Incantalupo

OF
5' 6"
Sophomore
Katharine Lang

#2 Katharine Lang

OF
5' 7"
Junior
Brittany Sonnichsen

#1 Brittany Sonnichsen

OF/C
5' 9"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Katherine Incantalupo

#33 Katherine Incantalupo

5' 6"
Sophomore
OF
Katharine Lang

#2 Katharine Lang

5' 7"
Junior
OF
Brittany Sonnichsen

#1 Brittany Sonnichsen

5' 9"
Junior
OF/C