Purdue Fort Wayne
Western Illinois
Mastodons Swept in Conference Doubleheader
4/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 23, 2010
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
Macomb, IL – Despite seeing sophomore pitcher Courtney Cronin set the career strikeout record in the first game of the day, she was out-dueled in both of her outings, as the Mastodons fell 6-0 in the first game, and 1-0 in the nightcap against the Leathernecks of Western Illinois University.
With the pair of losses, IPFW falls to 23-14 on the season, and 13-4 in the Summit League. Western Illinois, picked by the coaches in the league to finish first in the annual preseason poll, moves to 26-15 overall and 12-2 in league play.
The teams came into the game 1-2 in the league standings, and with the sweep, the Leathernecks leap-frogged IPFW into the top spot in the conference.
In the opener, the Mastodons fell victim to a masterful pitching performance by former Summit League Pitcher of the Year Kamren Ferguson, who held the ‘Dons to just one hit in the game, while striking out eight, walking three and hitting a batter.
Despite the lopsided 6-0 score, the game was not without its share of positives for the Mastodons, as in the first inning, starting pitcher Courtney Cronin tied and broke the career strikeout record, when she set down Lauren Furgala and Beth Golitko in order to end the first inning.
Neither team could get much offensive momentum early in the game, until the Leathernecks erupted with four unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning, the first coming when Furgala singled to center field, scoring Colleen Biebel, before Golitko doubled to right center, chasing home Julie DePolo and Furgala. A final run by Golitko gave WIU their fourth and final run of the inning.
A run in both the fifth and sixth innings by the Leathernecks gave the hosts each of their six runs in the game, in the 6-0 shutout victory.
The nightcap was a dueling pitcher’s battle, with Western Illinois’ Lori Pankratz setting the Mastodons down in order for the first 11 batters of the game, before giving up her first hit, to Swanson, one out into fifth inning. Swanson was sacrificed over to second by Amber Pierce, before advancing to third on an illegal pitch.
After the illegal pitch, Leatherneck head coach Holly Van Vlymen went to the bullpen and brought in game one starter Kamren Ferguson, who ended the threat in the fifth inning with an outfield fly-out.
Cronin, who started the second game, was able to work herself out of jams in each of the first three innings, including a one-out bases loaded scenario in the first inning, where she then struck out Golitko, and got Pankratz to ground out to shortstop Sara Hopwood to end the threat.
Western Illinois got two hits in both the second and third innings, before Cronin sat the Leathernecks down in order in the fourth. WIU’s only run of the game came in the fifth inning where Julie DePolo led off the frame with a single, and advanced to second on a groundout. After Lauren Furgala grounded out, Golitko hit a two-out single to shortstop, scoring DePolo in what would end up being the game’s only run.
The Leathernecks went quietly over the rest of the game, as IPFW threatened in each of the last three innings. After Swanson was left stranded at third base to end the top of the fifth inning, Rachel Staschuk led off the sixth inning with a single. A force-out at second, a strikeout, and a caught stealing ended that threat.
The Mastodons put the leadoff runner on base for the second straight inning when Cronin led off the seventh inning with a double down the left field line. She was advanced to second on a groundout by Stacey Swinford, but was left stranded at third when Ferguson struck out the last Mastodon batter, securing the win by the narrowest of margins for the Leathernecks.
Cronin, who picked up the loss in both games of the day, dropping her record to 15-8 on the season, struck out four over the six innings, while giving up nine hits and just the solitary run, her only earned run allowed during the day. Sarah Swanson picked up two hits on the day, with Staschuk and Cronin picking up the team’s other two hits overall.
~Dons~
