April 9, 2002

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri took a one-run lead into the top of the seventh inning in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader but allowed three runs and fell 5-4 in the opener. Eastern Illinois used that momentum to spark a second game offensive onslaught and shutout the Otahkians in the nightcap 6-0.

"We just gave the first game away," said Southeast skipper Lana Richmond. "That is a game that we could have won. Our goal now is to make the tournament and I think we need seven wins to do that."

Eastern Illinois (12-15, 4-6 OVC) wasted little time scoring in game one, when C Kristin Darnell scored on an obstruction call against Southeast shortstop Dawn Piantino. EIU LF Amy Barr singled to shortstop and Darnell collided with Piantino as the ball rolled to the outfield. Southeast CF Shelley Conroy then picked up the ball and threw out Darnell at home plate, but the call was later overruled by the umpires following a protest from the EIU coaches. The Panthers looked like were going to score their second run of the inning when 1B Dana Yocum hit a grounder to shortstop and pinch runner Jessica Irps ran into Piantino. This time the ruling was running interference and Southeast got out of the inning trailing only 1-0.

Southeast Missouri (7-19, 4-6 OVC) answered back with a run of its own in the bottom of the first when 1B Reagan Hamlin singled home Piantino, who had reached on an error by the centerfielder. A batter later, C Jennifer Cobin doubled off the leftfield wall to score Hamlin and put the Otahkians up 2-1.

The Otahkians went up 3-1 when 2B Brooke Nett singled home pinch runner Michelle Lunsford from second base. Lunsford was running for pitcher Kelly Birk who walked to start the inning.

The Panthers looked like they were going to tie the score at two when Yocum doubled to deep right-centerfield in the third. DP Jen Green, who walked, tried to score all the way from first base but was gunned down on a perfect relay throw from Courtney Eklund to Piantino to Cobin that preserved the one-run lead for Southeast, the number one fielding team in the Ohio Valley Conference entering the week.

EIU responded in the fifth inning by loading the bases with only one out thanks to three consecutive walks by Birk. Relief pitcher Kristen King did a marvelous job getting out of the jam, allowing only pitcher Kristen Becker to ground out to first base forcing in Kristin Lovering and cutting the margin to 3-2.

After Southeast went quietly in the sixth, the Panthers exploded for three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 advantage. After walking to open the inning, Barr scored on an error then EIU got runs on fielder's choices by Yocum and Hagerty when throws to the plate were late.

Southeast mustered a comeback in its portion of the seventh when Christine Knobbe tripled to right field for her second three-bagger of the season. Pinch hitter Kristy Roherty then singled home pinch runner Stacy DeClue for her first RBI of the season to cut the lead to 5-4. But they would get no closer and dropped the game by that margin.

Southeast had been 7-0 when leading after six innings, prior to the game one loss.

King (1-7) took the loss for Southeast. She pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and three runs, only one of which was earned. Becker (7-7) was the winning pitcher after going the distance. She allowed seven hits and four runs, two earned, while striking out four.

Eastern started game two much like they ended game one. Southeast starter Rachel Van Fleet would not make it out of the first inning as the Panthers scored three times in the opening inning. Back-to-back-to-back singles opened the inning with Lovering getting the first RBI of the game with her knock. Green's sacrifice fly made the score 2-0 and Yocum's single pushed the advantage to 3-0.

EIU added its fourth run in the second inning when Barr hit a sacrifice fly that scored 3B Jill Blackburn.

The Otahkians had a good chance to score in third inning after they loaded the bases with only one out. But two pop-outs got EIU starter Trish Sanders out of trouble and preserved the 4-0 advantage.

And after not capitalizing on their scoring opportunity, EIU made the Otahkians pay when Lovering doubled to left-centerfield scoring Darnell and Barr and increasing the lead to 6-0, the final score.

Van Fleet (4-6) was the losing pitcher of record after recording only one out in her 1/3 inning of work. She allowed three hits and was charged with three earned runs.

Sanders (3-6) recorded her third victory of the season by going the distance for Eastern Illinois.

Southeast C Alicia Loucks had two hits in game two, matching her total for the entire season entering the game.

Eastern was led by Lovering in game two, as she went 3-4 at the plate with three batted in. Carrie Ninness and Barr each added two hits.

Brooke Nett was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning of game one, marking the 24th time she has been hit-by-pitch in her three-year Southeast career. She has been hit three times this season and is the Otahkian all-time leader in that category.

Piantino did not play in game two for Southeast after suffering a shoulder injury when being run into twice by EIU runners in the first inning of game one.

Southeast will be back in action this weekend for an important three-game series with Tennessee Tech. Gametime at the Southeast Softball Complex is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday for the doubleheader and 1:00 p.m. for a single game on Sunday.