April 22, 2007

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State softball earned a split with host Tennessee-Martin in the first two games of an Ohio Valley Conference weekend series at UTM's Bettye Giles Field. The Redhawks (14-25, 6-13) captured the first game by a score of 3-1 before the Skyhawks (24-26, 10-8) posted a 4-2 victory in the nightcap.

The Redhawks claimed a 3-0 in the fourth inning of the first game with senior center fielder Lindsay Pickering (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles West HS) blasting a two-run home run and freshman first baseman Stacia Dopudja (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) adding an RBI double.

Tennessee-Martin got on the board in the bottom of the fourth after freshman Ashley Benbow connected on a run-scoring double off Redhawks starting pitcher Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell North) that brought home fellow freshman Laura Roberts from third. Southeast held on through the final three innings to win the game.

Junior shortstop Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Cape Central) led the Redhawks offensively by hitting 3-for-4 and scored a run, while Pickering went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Fisher (10-16) posted the complete-game victory after allowing a run and scattered seven hits.

Laura Roberts paced the home team with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate and scored a run, while junior Ashton Strode (6-8) took the loss after giving up three runs on 10 hits in six innings thrown.

The Skyhawks captured an early 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to senior Brittany Nash, who singled home feshman Megan VanArsdale from third.

Southeast gained a 2-1 advantage in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer from junior third baseman Michelle Summers (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) to left field that also plated junior right fielder Katie Otterness (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates). Tennessee-Martin evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Megan Williams posted an RBI infield groundout to score sophomore Savannah Roberts from third.

The score stayed the same until the sixth inning when Benbow lined a two-run, game-winning home run to right field off Fisher and the Skyhawks held off any late comeback attempts in the seventh to gain the win.

Benbow finished the game hitting 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored a run to lead Tennessee-Martin. Nash also went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and scored a run, while freshman Paij Lintz (3-4) earned a complete-game win after giving up two runs on seven hits and posting a strikeout.

Dopudja and senior left fielder Stephanie Mata (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling HS) each went 2-for-3 at the plate to pace Southeast. Fisher (10-17) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in two and two-third innings of relief. Sophomore starting pitcher Lauren Bradley (Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission South) only allowed a run on six hits with two strikeouts in three and one-third innings on the mound.

Both teams will conclude the series at Bettye Giles Field with a single game Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.