Ohio Valley Conference

2003 OVC Softball Notes

OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Kacy Bennett, C, So., Huntingdon, Tenn. (Tennessee Tech)
Not only did Kacy hit .348 for the week, she belted a two-run home run in the 11th inning Saturday to beat EKU, and hit a three-run homer Sunday for a 3-2 Tech win. While leading Tech to a 5-2 record during the week, she was 8-for-23 with three doubles and two home runs, and drove in seven runs and had a .739 slugging percentage. She also had a perfect fielding percentage in 36 chances, and threw out three of six attempted steals. She has hit safely in nine of the last 10 games.

OVC PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Lisa Lamb, P, So., Marietta, Ga. (Tennessee Tech)
Lisa posted a 2-0 record with a 0.75 ERA during her four appearances last week, claiming a pair of one-run victories. She got the win in Tech’s 2-1 victory over Belmont on.Wednesday, and also earned the win Sunday in Tech’s 3-2 victory at Eastern Kentucky. She also pitched six strong innings against Arkansas without a decision. She pitched 18.2 innings, allowed 18 hits and only two earned runs, walked four and struck out eight.


OVC WEEKEND ACTION

TTU 10, EKU 7 (11 inn.)
TTU 4, EKU 2
TTU 3, EKU 2
Nobody is offering to help Kacy Bennett out of the rut she's slipped into -- that is, hitting game-winning home runs.

For the second straight day, Bennett poked the ball out of the park to help Tennessee Tech claim a dramatic Ohio Valley Conference softball victory over defending champion Eastern Kentucky. Her three-run blast in the fourth inning gave the Golden Eagles a 3-2 win Sunday afternoon and completed a three-game sweep over the Lady Colonels on their own field.

On Saturday, the sophomore catcher from Huntingdon, Tenn. hit a two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning to help Tech post a 10-7 victory in the series opener.

Sophomore Lisa Lamb (7-2) pitched six strong innings to get the win, scattering eight hits and allowing two unearned runs. She didn't walk a batter and struck out two. Junior Tia Brenning pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to pick up her league-leading third save of the year.

Tech managed only four hits off EKU's Jonelle Csora, who didn't walk a batter and struck out six. Her only trouble came in the fourth when Samantha Lovelady singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, and LeeAnne Mongar reached on an
infield single. Csora's costly mistake was the home run ball to Bennett to put Tech on top. 3-2.

EKU had scored two times in the first inning off Lamb before she settled down and tossed five scoreless innings. Diana Barreras singled and stole second, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Elise Burch reached on an error which
allowed Barreras to score the first run, moved to second on the second out, and scored on an RBI single by Amy Herrington.

Lamb got a groundout to end a threat in the third when EKU had runners at the corners, and had to work with runners on base in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. In the seventh inning, pinch-hitter Cindy Berhoud led off with a
double that brought Brenning from the bullpen. The Lady Colonels loaded the bases with a couple of fielder's choice grounders and with one out, Burch hit a grounder that first baseman LeeAnne Mongar fielded and fired home to force out the second out. Brenning then got a grounder back at her to end the contest.

Tech, 24-10 overall, improved to 7-1 in the OVC with a big doubleheader coming up Tuesday against Austin Peay.


MOR 9, TSU 2
MOR 3, TSU 0
MOR 8, TSU 0
The Morehead State softball team finished out its three-game home series with a sweep over Tennessee State on Saturday and Sunday, its first 3-0 Ohio Valley Conference series since defeating Austin Peay in May of 2000.

The Eagles started off by winning 9-2 and 3-0, in a Saturday doubleheader, which snapped a 10-game losing streak. In the game-one victory, MSU collected the most runs scored and the largest margin of victory this season. Game two also recorded a milestone, the first shutout of the year. On Sunday, Morehead State finished off the sweep with an 8-0 five-inning victory, marking the first time this year that the Eagles had defeated an opponent by the eight-run rule.

The results pushed Morehead State’s record to 6-21-1 (3-3 in the OVC). It gave MSU its first three-game win streak of the season and pushed its home record to 3-5-1. Tennessee State fell to 6-22 and 3-8 iun the OVC. It also raised the Eagles’ all-time record against TSU to 33-3.

Dominating pitching, solid defense and power hitting was the story for the Eagles. As a team, MSU completed the series with a .313 batting average, 15 RBI, stole seven bases, made one error in 75 chances, had a 0.74 ERA and struck out 19 batters.

After giving up two hits and the two runs in the opening inning of game one, senior pitcher Molly Cope allowed just four hits the rest of the way. The opportunistic Eagles put at least one runner on base after already recording two outs in the first five innings. Cope finished by allowing six hits, two earned runs and one walk, while striking out a season-high seven. She picked up her second win in her fourth complete game of the year.

In game two, sophomore Stephanie Hernandez threw 45 strikes out of her 63 pitches. Hernandez, who pitched at least one strike to 20 of the 24 TSU batters, finished the game by tying a career high with nine strikeouts, after striking out six of the first nine batters. She also picked up her fourth complete game, allowing three hits and a walk. It also was her second win of the season and the first shutout victory of her career.

Sophomore Jacque Jackson had her most dominant performance in the Blue and Gold with a one-hit shutout in game three. It was the first complete-game shutout of her career and her second win of the season. She finished the contest striking out three and giving up no walks. Jackson shut down the Lady Tiger bats as only three runners reached base. She was a second-inning single by sophomore second baseman Kristy Kittel away from a no-hitter.

Five Eagle batters finished the series hitting at least .300, led by senior third baseman Nikki Brock at .600 (3-for-5). Brock also scored three times, had two RBI, a walk, a sacrifice fly and was 4-for-4 in stolen bases, moving her into fifth on the school’s all-time career list. Senior center fielder Toni Orr was 4-for-7, with four RBI. She finished the weekend with a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .700 on base percentage.

Senior first baseman Alison Queen (.429), senior left fielder Jill Sloan (.375) and sophomore right fielder Jessie Chin (.375) also fared well at the plate. Each scored three times and Sloan finished with three RBI. Senior catcher Natalee Owens homered in game one, and finished with four RBI. Queen also powered a shot over the left field fence, which dented the scoreboard, in game two.

Leading Tennessee State's efforts was junior third baseman Melissa Tofft, who was 4-for-4 with a run scored in the first game and followed by going 1-for-3 in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Junior Alana Thomas (3-4), freshman Justine Jontz (1-5) and junior Shannon Hicks (1-7), in order, picked up the losses.


SEMO 5, APSU 0
APSU 2, SEMO 1
Holly Ricketts scattered six hits and made a two-run error stand up as Austin Peay State University's softball team defeated Southeast Missouri, 2-1, in Saturday's second game of an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader.

As a result, the Lady Govs, who lost the opener 5-0, earned a split in the two league games. The third and final series game was canceled due to rain.

In putting her season mark at 5-4, Ricketts fanned seventh and walk just one in her seven-inning stint as she outdueled the Otahkians Kelly Birk. A two-out fourth-inning throwing error on Lori Hale's routine grounder to short opened the door for two unearned runs as both Jessica Warden and Lori McCoy scored the game's first two runs.

SEMO cut the lead in half in the sixth with a single run on a Katie Cerneka sacrifice fly. But Ricketts settled down to finish the game on a strong note, retiring the side in order in the seventh.

APSU was outhit 6-2 in the nightcap but made SEMO's miscue the turning point.

In the opener, Alana Bagby-Leonard slammed a two-run third inning homer to provide Jessia Hunter all the runs she needed.

The Lady Govs now stand at 14-17-1 overall, 4-1 in the OVC. SEMO is 7-18 overall, 3-2 in league play.


UTM 3, EIU 2
UTM 8, EIU 0
The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team cranked out 18 hits over Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Illinois, including a three-run home run by senior Meredith Ramsey in the second game, for the doubleheader sweep Saturday afternoon. The third game of the series was cancelled due to bad weather.

The Skyhawks fought off a seventh-inning scare in game one to pull out the 3-2 win. UT Martin dominated all the way in game two for the 8-0 shutout in six innings. UT Martin is 15-16 overall and 6-2 in the OVC. Eastern Illinois falls to 5-22 overall and 0-5 in conference play.

After three scoreless innings in game one, the Skyhawks blew up in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead. Freshman Megan Dempsey scored first while pinch running for Nicole Davis. Davis singled to right field to get on base. Dempsey moved to second on Kristin Runyan’s walk and moved to third base on Jennifer Young’s fielder’s choice. An error by Panther shortstop Mandy Lindwall on the play allowed Dempsey to continue home for the score.

Sarah Daws later followed up with a single to center field to score Young and Linsey Moffit for the 3-0 lead. Moffit reached base on a fielder’s choice.

The Panthers gave UT Martin a little scare in the seventh inning as Lindwall doubled down the left field line to score Jen Green and Bridget Owen, who was pinch running for Kristen Becker. The Skyhawks held EIU off to close out the inning and pick up the win, 3-2.

Davis and sophomore Kristin Hogan went two-for-three in the game for the Skyhawks. Daws was one-of-two with two RBI.

Davis also pitched the entire game for the Skyhawks. She had six strikeouts in seven innings and gave up four hits. Kristen Becker had one strikeout and gave up six hits for EIU.

UT Martin got things moving quicker in the second game as the Skyhawks scored five runs in the third inning. Ramsey sent a three-run home run to left field to put UT Martin on the board. Brandy Whalen and Hogan scored on the play. Hogan reached on a single and Whalen got on base by an error on Panther Nichole Eichelberger.

Davis followed right behind Ramsey with a double to right field to get on base. Dempsey pinch ran for Davis and moved to third base on a single by Young. Runyan, who was hit by a pitch, moved to second on the play.

Dempsey scored on a fielder’s choice by Moffit while Runyan scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrea Mrozinski to extend the lead, 5-0.

The Skyhawks followed up in the fourth inning with Davis hammering a double to score Ramsey and Whalen. Whalen singled to get on base while Ramsey doubled to center field.

UT Martin sealed the win in the sixth inning as Davis swung on and hit what was meant to be an intentional ball and scored Whalen for the 8-0 win.

Ramsey and Davis both went three-for-four in the game, each with three RBI. Ramsey also scored two runs while Davis picked up two doubles. Whalen was two-for four, scoring three runs.

Senior Kendra Kosco picks up the win for the Skyhawks. She struck out five batters in six innings and gave up five hits. Ashley Condon and Kari Hagerty split pitching duties for the Panthers. Condon gave up eight hits in 3.1 innings while Hagerty struck out two batters and gave up four hits in 1.2 innings.