March 11, 2006

Box Score |  Photo Gallery

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Saturday, March 11, 2006) The Redhawks bats came alive in a big way and in the right situation as they won their second game in day one of the Redhawks Round-Robin at the Southeast Softball Complex to finish the day with a split. In their first game against Lipscomb scored in the top of the seventh to record a 3-2 win. In game two the Redhawks had their own seventh-inning heroics, as they came from behind to score 14 runs in the top of the seventh to defeat Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis 18-7 in the nightcap.

The Redhawks (5-7) gave up three runs in the bottom of the sixth against IUPUI (1-11) to put them behind 7-4. Head Coach Lana Richmond gathered her team as they came off the field and assured them that they were due for a big inning. Even she couldn't imagine the offensive display that the Redhawks would have in the seventh.

With one out Jennifer Monaghan (West Palm Beach, FL/American Heritage) and Lauren Bradley (Overland park, KS/Shawnee Mission South) collected back-to-back singles. Stephanie Huffman (Valmayer, IL/Forest Park CC) then doubled to deep right to plate both runners to cut their deficit to 7-6. Stephanie Mata (Wheeling, IL/Wheeling HS) then stepped in and delivered her second homerun of the day with an opposite field shot just inside of the right field foul pole to give the Redhawks the lead 8-7.

That was just the beginning as Lindsay Pickering (St. Charles, MO/St. Charles West HS) followed with a single. Lyndsey Webb (Las Vegas, NV/Las Vegas HS) collected her first hit of the season with a sharply hit single down the right field line that knocked Jaguars reliever Breanna Howell from the game. Jaguars starter Devan Craig reentered the game and was promptly met with a Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) single to load the bases for senior Charlene Ramirez (Walnut, CA/Mt. San Antonio CC). Ramirez delivered a bases-clearing double to left center and ended up at third after an error on the throw into the infield.

After Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, MO/Cape Central) grounded out Monaghan delivered her second hit of the inning with a single up the middle to plate Ramirez. Bradley then singled and pinch-hitter Callie Brittan (Valley Park, MO/St. Charles CC) singled to left to score Monaghan. Mata reached base on an error to again load the bases for the Redhawks. Pickering reached on an error that scored Bradley. Webb then doubled her season output with another single to again keep the bases jammed. Summers emptied them with a double to center. The Redhawks later loaded the bases again with walks to Chloe' Tubbs (St. Louis, MO/Metro) and McDonald. New reliever Kristina Stanley stopped the bleeding as she got Monaghan to pop-up to second in her third plate appearance of the inning.

Altogether the Redhawks scored 14 runs on 13 hits and three errors in the seventh. 11 different Redhawks reached base.

Freshman Jessica Rosencrants (Sequim, WA/Sequim) retired the Jaguars in the bottom of the seventh for her first collegiate victory.

The Redhawks jumped ahead early in the game as they scored an unearned run in the first and Pickering hit her first homerun of the season in the second.

The Jaguars scored four runs in the second off of Redhawks starter Huffman to grab a 4-2 lead.

The Redhawks countered with a run in the fifth and in the sixth to tie the game at four apiece. The Jaguars followed with their three-run sixth setting up the huge seventh inning for the Redhawks.

Summers went a perfect 6-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ramirez was 3-4 with a career-high four RBIs.

Monaghan went 3-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. McDonald, Bradley, Mata and Pickering each finished 2-5, combining for eight runs scored and four RBIs.

Howell (1-5) was collared with the loss in relief for the Jaguars allowing seven runs on eight hits in only 1.1 innings as the Jaguars lost their eighth-straight game of the season.

For the game the Redhawks collected 24 hits and held the Jaguars to six.

The win gave Coach Richmond 699 career victories, one short of her milestone 700th.

In the Redhawks first game against Lipscomb (3-7) the bats were held at bay as they fell behind 2-0 in the third inning. In the Redhawks half of the third Mata led-off with a solo shot to left center. They later added a run in the fifth courtesy of a McDonald RBI double to left center to score Ramirez.

In the seventh Redhawks starter Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, MO/Francis Howell North) gave up a solo homer to Jessica Wilson for the eventual game-winner.

Fisher (2-5) received the loss despite a solid outing. She pitched her sixth complete game allowing three runs on 10 hits.

Bisons pitcher Sara Meek kept the Redhawks guessing as she struckout 13 and allowing two runs on six hits in her complete game outing.

McDonald went 2-3 with an RBI.

Wilson went 3-4 with her solo homerun for the Bisons.

The Redhawks will attempt to give Coach Richmond her 700th career victory as they return to the Southeast Softball Complex tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. to face Northern Iowa, who defeated IUPUI 2-0 and Lipscomb 10-0, in the final day of the Round-Robin. The Redhawks will play one more game afterwards at either 2:00 or 4:00 p.m.