Purdue Fort Wayne
SEMO
Mastodons Fall in Extra Innings to Redhawks
3/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 10, 2010
Cape Girardeau, MO – A run in the bottom of the eighth inning sank the IPFW Mastodons in a non-conference single game with the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks on Wednesday evening, as the hosts plated a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the game 4-3.
Rachel Staschuk was 2-for-4 at the plate for IPFW, as each of the team’s other five hits came from different batters. Courtney Cronin and Kaylee Faurote each hit a double for the ‘Dons, as Sara Hopwood hit her fourth home run of the season, as the junior college transfer is now tied for seventh place in single-season home runs in school history. Cronin, picked up the loss in relief, dropping her record to 3-5 on the season as she gave up just one run, and it was unearned, while striking out two over two and a third inning of work.
SEMO (5-7) struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Nicole Tronsco hit a leadoff home run to left center field, giving the hosts a quick 1-0 lead.
The Mastodons (6-7) matched the Redhawks in the top of the second inning when Ava Hall chased home Cronin with a single to right field, before taking a lead of their own an inning later when Hopwood opened the inning with her fourth homer of the season, knocking the longball down the left field line.
After a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the hosts the lead back, IPFW knotted the score when Faurote doubled to center field, driving in Kaitlyn Frost, and nearly a second as Staschuk was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from first base to give the Mastodons the lead again; however with the junior being called out at the plate, the game remained tied heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
The teams were unable to score in each turns at the seventh inning, and in the eighth inning the international tiebreaker rule was put into place, as the last out of the previous inning for IPFW, Hopwood, was placed on second base. IPFW’s next batter, Sarah Swanson, grounded to the third baseman, who quickly tossed to second base, tagging Hopwood out, and ending the chance with a runner in scoring position, as the next two batters flied out and grounded out ending the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, with Shelby Stein placed on second base, leadoff hitter Alex Ramirez drew a walk, before Carmen Fowler singled home Stein, giving the hosts the victory, and dropping IPFW below .500 for the first time since the opening tournament of the season.
Amanda Olender started the game in the circle, going the first four and two-thirds inning of work, striking out two and giving up three earned runs. SEMO’s Whitney Dupuis got the win, going the entire eight innings, scattering seven hits and not striking out a Mastodon batter. Ramirez drove in two to lead the hosts, as each of the team’s five hits came from five different players.
The Mastodons remain in the Midwest for their next trio of games, as they round out their trip with a three-game series at conference foe UMKC, with the opening double header starting on Friday, March 12 with first-pitch set for 3:00 PM.
~Dons~
