Purdue Fort Wayne
Eastern Kentucky
Mastodons Split for Second Straight Day
3/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 7, 2009
Kissimmee, FL – The IPFW Mastodons recorded a day split at the Rebel Spring Games for the second straight day, topping Eastern Kentucky University 2-0 before falling 4-0 to Holy Cross College, going into their off day with an even 2-2 record.
In the first game of the day, the 2-0 victory, both the Mastodons and Colonels of Eastern Kentucky (3-6) were mired in a defensive pitching battle through the first three innings, before Amanda Olender walked to start the inning, before freshman Cassie Wolfe clubbed a two-run home run, the first of her career, giving IPFW a two-run lead.
Those two runs would be all the squad would need, fortunately, as Olender and Courtney Cronin combined on the six-hit shutout. The win wasn’t without its share of drama, however, as the Colonels stranded a runner on third base with one out in the sixth inning, before having the bases loaded with one out an inning later. A pair of infield groundouts kept the sixth inning potential run off the board, while back-to-back swinging strikeouts ended the game with the bases loaded.
Rachel Staschuk was 2-for-3 at the plate, with Wolfe picking up the team’s only other run. Olender pitched the first five innings of the game in her season debut in the circle, picking up the win, while Cronin, who picked up her first collegiate win a day ago against Fairfield, recorded the save. Olender struck out one, walked one, and scattered four hits. Cronin struck out two batters in her two innings, while walking one and giving up a pair of hits.
The ‘Dons were unable to awake their bats against the Crusaders of Holy Cross (5-7), being held scoreless for the first time this season. Holy Cross, playing in their 12th and final game of the Spring Games, got a run when Nicole Ortiz drove in Keely Seniuk in the top of the fourth inning. Three more runs in the fifth inning gave the game its final score.
IPFW takes a day off on Sunday, before returning to the diamond on Monday morning when they face off against Bryant at 9:00 AM, and then against Youngstown State at 1:00 PM
~Dons~
