March 12, 2006

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Sunday, March 12, 2006) Redhawks softball Head Coach Lana Richmond was determined not to let the weather "rain on her parade" as her team got her a milestone win. Coach Richmond won her 700th career victory with a 9-3 win over visiting Northern Iowa in game one of an unscheduled doubleheader. The Redhawks completed the sweep and gave Coaach Richmond win number 701 with a 5-4 extra-inning win in the nightcap.

The Redhawks (7-7) elected to cancel the final day of the Redhawks Round-Robin due to poor field conditions brought upon by the four days of heavy raining that hit the southeast area of Missouri. By noon the weather and cleared up and the field was declared playable and the Redhawks and Panthers chose to play a doubleheader, Lipscomb and IUPUI left due to travel constraints.

The Redhawks carried their recent power surge to the opening game of the twinbill as they recorded nine runs off of 12 hits including three homeruns.

The Panthers (6-11-1) struck first with two runs in the opening inning for the quick 2-0 lead. The Redhawks tied the game in the bottom of the second. Lindsay Pickering (St. Charles, MO/St. Charles West HS) and Stephanie Mata (Wheeling, IL/Wheeling HS) collected back-to-back doubles with Mata's plating Pickering. Amber Peterson (Camarillo, CA/Oaks Christian) then singled to score Mata to knot the game at two runs apiece.

That inning opened the floodgates as the Redhawks would score in every inning following the second.

In the third Charlene Ramirez (Walnut, CA/Mt. San Antonio CC) led-off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, MO/Cape Central). Lauren Bradley (Overland park, KS/Shawnee Mission South) drew a two-out walk to give the Redhawks runners at first and second. Stephanie Huffman (Valmayer, IL/Forest Park CC) followed with a double down the left field line to score both runners.

Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) hit a solo homerun in the fourth inning, her team-leading fourth of the season, to make it 5-2.

Jennifer Monaghan (West Palm Beach, FL/American Heritage) singled to lead-off the sixth. Bradley reached base on an error. Huffman then hit her first homerun of the season launching a Uju Ibekwe pitch over the left field fence and onto Bertling Street, putting the game out of reach, 8-3.

Monaghan added a solo shot just over the left field fence for the Redhawks ninth and final run. Monaghan's homer tied her with Summers for the team lead.

Ace Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, MO/Francis Howell North) was solid in the victory as she pitched her seventh-straight complete game for her third win of the season. She allowed three runs on nine hits while striking out five and walking only one.

Huffman went 2-3 with a career-high five RBIs to lead the Redhawks at the plate.

Rachel Rogers led the Panthers going 3-4 with two RBIs. Ibekwe (3-4) was credited with the loss allowing four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings of work.

In game two the Redhawks rallied from three runs and forced extra innings where they won on a Monaghan RBI single.

The Panthers again struck in the first inning with two runs off of Huffman. They later added a run in the third to make it 3-0. The Redhawks cut the deficit to one in the fourth inning when Bradley launched a two-run shot to left for her first collegiate homerun.

In the sixth the Redhawks grabbed their first lead of the game. McDonald singled to lead-off the inning. Bradley drew a one-out walk. The hot-hitting Huffman then hit an opposite field double to drive in both runners to give the Redhawks what the appeared the winning runs.

The Panthers had other thoughts as they scored a run in the seventh to tie the game and force the game into extra innings.

Huffman pitched her way out of a bases-loaded one-out situation in the eighth to keep the Redhawks alive.

In the bottom of the eighth Ramirez bunted over Summers to third after being placed on second. With two outs Monaghan delivered the game-winner with a single to left to end the game.

Once again Huffman was hot as she went 2-3 with two RBIs giving her seven RBIs in the doubleheader. She was impressive on the mound as she pitched her second complete game of the season and earned her third win going eight innings allowing four runs (three earned) on 14 hits while striking out three and not issuing a single walk.

Morgan Paulson was the Panthers top hitter going 3-3 with two RBIs. Jamie Kelling went 2-5 and went 5-9 in the doubleheader with three runs scored.

The Redhawks look to extend their current three-game winning streak as they open up Ohio Valley Conference play as they travel to Clarkesville, Tennessee for a three game series against Austin Peay. The Redhawks open the series with a doubleheader on Friday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m.