Softball Blanks Eastern Illinois 4-0 Behind Another Strong Pitching Performance :: Freshman pitcher Kelly Birk wins her third game in less than a week, second by shutout.

Freshman pitcher Kelly Birk wins her third game in less than a week, second by shutout.

April 18, 2002

CHARLESTON, Ill.- With their backs to the wall entering a crucial week, the Southeast Missouri State softball team has responded positively halfway through the week. Freshman pitcher Kelly Birk threw her second complete-game shutout in less than a week and drove in two runs, as Southeast beat Eastern Illinois 4-0 on Thursday and avoided a season-sweep by the Panthers.

Southeast (10-22, 7-10 OVC) started strong as it has been recently, scoring twice in their first at-bat. C Jennifer Cobin was hit by a pitch and then pinch ran for by Stacy DeClue. DeClue advanced to second on a wild pitch and Southeast had runners at first and second with two outs following a walk to RF Courtney Eklund. Pitcher Kelly Birk helped her own cause, as she did a week ago against Tennessee Tech, by doubling down the leftfield line and scoring DeClue and Eklund and putting the Otahkians up 2-0.

The Otahkians scored again in the third when Cobin led off the inning with a double to left-centerfield. She would come home to score on a sacrifice bunt by SS Dawn Piantino that resulted in an Eastern Illinois (14-17, 6-8 OVC) error.

Southeast scored its final run in the fourth inning when 2B Brooke Nett doubled to rightfield scoring DP Kristy Roherty who had walked to lead off the inning. Southeast had more chances in the inning with the bases loaded and no outs, but the Otahks were unable to convert. That's all the support Birk (5-7) would need in picking up her fifth victory of the season and third in the past week. After allowing a double to Kristen Darnell to open the game, Birk did not allow another hit until the fifth inning. On the day, she allowed only four hits and struck out a career-high five while walking three.

Kristen Becker (8-9) took the loss after allowing seven hits and four runs in three innings of work. In relief of Becker, Trish Sanders allowed only two hits over the final four innings.

Three Otahkians had multiple-hit days in the game. Nett was 2-4 with an RBI, Cobin 2-3 with a run scored and Katie Cerneka was 2-2 with a walk. Birk had the game-winning hit, her second in the past week.

Southeast now finds itself in fourth place in the OVC standings heading to Morehead State this weekend for an important three-game series on Saturday and Sunday. A sweep of the Eagles would guarantee the Otahkians a place in the OVC Tournament, two of three would almost accomplish the feat. Gametime on Saturday is Noon central time for a doubleheader and Noon on Sunday for a single game.