April 13, 2002

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Freshman pitcher Kelly Birk was a big part of the Southeast game plan versus Tennessee Tech and she did not disappoint. Birk pitched a complete-game shutout in game one of the Saturday afternoon doubleheader and also drove in the game-winning RBI as Southeast bested Tennessee Tech 2-0. The Golden Eagles responded though and thanks to a squeeze bunt in the sixth inning, were able to salvage a split of the two games.

"Kelly Birk pitched a smart game," Otahkian coach Lana Richmond said. "We had a game plan and she executed it. And our defense did a great job of helping her out. We scored the runs when we needed it and we'll start Kelly tomorrow and see what she can do again."

Southeast (8-20, 5-8 OVC) was able to score first in game one thanks to a leadoff walk. After 1B Reagan Hamlin walked and was pinch run for by Michelle Lunsford, Lunsford promptly stole second base and was successfully sacrificed to third by RF Courtney Eklund. Then pitcher Kelly Birk helped her own cause by singling to right field to bring home Lunsford and put Southeast on top 1-0.

The Otahkians would extend that advantage to 2-0 in the fourth inning. SS Dawn Piantino led the inning off with a double to centerfield and the bases were loaded after an Eklund walk and a Kristy Roherty single to right. CF Kemi Rampi then laced a single to left for her sixth RBI of the season to increase the Southeast lead.

After allowing a leadoff single to Tech CF Stephanie Dallman to begin the game, Birk faced the next 19 batters without allowing a hit. The Golden Eagles did get three singles in the top of the sixth to load the bases with one out. SS Marianne Novac then flied out to right field and it looked like Tech would score on the sacrifice fly. However, TTU 1B LeeAnne Mongar was gunned down at home plate by a perfect throw from Eklund in rightfield to Jennifer Cobin behind the plate to complete the double play and end the inning with Southeast still on top 2-0, which would be the final margin.

Tech (24-19, 7-3 OVC) squandered several good scoring chances that could have tied or won the game. Three times the Golden Eagles ended innings when Southeast turned double plays and two other innings ended with Tech batters grounded out with a runner on third base.

Birk (3-6) pitched the first shutout of the season for Southeast, allowing five hits and striking out one. Lori Bayless (12-9) took the loss, although she allowed only four hits and struck out seven Otahkians.

The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Southeast.

Southeast once again struck quickly in game two, scoring two runs in their first at-bat. 2B Brooke Nett led the inning off with a single and Southeast had runners on first and second following a Piantino single. An error on Tech 2B Holly Speiser loaded the bases for Southeast and Eklund. Eklund hit a hard grounder to third base and was thrown out at first, although the play allowed Nett to score from third base. Following the out at first, Tech 1B LeeAnne Mongar tried to catch Piantino at third, but her throw went into the Otahk dugout, allowing Piantino to score.

Tennessee Tech would get on the board for the first time in 11 innings on the day, in the fifth inning of game two. LF Jadryen Layne led off the inning with a double and came home to score on Dallman's single, her third hit of the game.

An inning later, the Golden Eagles were able to take their first lead of the afternoon with some great execution. A leadoff single by pinch hitter Dana Yates started the inning, and pinch runner Lori Smith came home to score on C Amy Goad's double to tie the game. Later in the inning, Novac executed a perfect squeeze bunt that scored Goad and vaulted Tech into the lead.

That would be all the runs Tech would need, as they salvaged a split of day one thanks to a double play in the seventh inning to end the game. Lisa Lamb (10-7) was the winning pitcher, allowing six hits and two runs, both unearned. Kristen King (1-8) took the loss. She allowed all nine Golden Eagles hits and three runs. In relief, Kelly Birk pitched two perfect innings for Southeast.

"Tech is a tremendous hitting team," Richmond added. "We tried to keep their number one (Dallman) and three (Mongar) hitters off the bases, and they got the extra base hits when it was key. We hung tight with our defense in game two."

Southeast lost its sixth one-run conference game of the season. They have dropped two, one-run games to first place Eastern Kentucky and one to second place Tennessee Tech.

"Our goal is to make the (OVC) tournament. If we make it as the number six seed (the final seed in the tournament) I think we will be the most feared number six seed ever."

In game two, Tech exploded for nine total hits, five of which were doubles. Dallman finished the second game 3-4 with an RBI. Goad was 2-3 with a RBI and a run. Cobin was 2-2 at the plate for Southeast.

The Southeast defense was excellent on the day, turning four double plays and four times getting Tech to ground out with runners on third base to end the inning.

The two teams will conclude their three-game series with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.