BOX SCORE | BOX SCORE (PDF)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — The Morehead State softball team’s struggles continued on Sunday as the Eagles out-hit visiting SIU Edwardsville but left 14 runners on base in a 7-2 setback to the Cougars.
MSU dropped its 10th consecutive game to fall to 9-21 overall and 3-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference. SIUE completed the three-game sweep of MSU and upped its mark to 13-17 and 5-3 in the league.
Cougar pitcher Erika Taylor (10-8) tossed her second complete-game victory of the series, striking out 14 Eagle batters and only allowing two runs. The Eagles topped the Cougars in hitting 10-7 but SIUE took advantage of six walks issued by Eagle pitchers and spaced its scoring out, plating three in the third, two in the fourth and two in the seventh.
In the series, the Eagles totaled 27 hits but left 29 runners on base.
SIUE jumped on top 3-0 in the third. Chelsea Yankolovich doubled home Lindsey Barron for the first run. The Cougars scored their second and third runs via back-to-back fielding errors at second base by the Eagles.
Jami Whitcomb (1-3) allowed the decisive third run and was saddled with the loss for the Eagles.
The Eagles cut the Cougar lead down to 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Brooke McCartney drew a free pass and Kayla Ashbrook followed with her fourth home run of the year – a no-doubter blast over the left field fence.
The Cougars upped the lead to 5-2 in the fourth. Kasey Schlafke led off with a solo homer, and Rachel Coonrod picked up an RBI later in the inning on a bases-loaded walk. Schlafke plated SIUE’s sixth run on a sacrifice squeeze bunt in the seventh, and Whitney Davis’ RBI single closed the Cougar scoring in the final inning.
MSU had runners at second and third in the bottom of the seventh, but Taylor froze Sam Woodall on a strikeout to end the game.
Rebecca Butler led MSU with a 3-for-4 day in the batter’s box. She totaled eight hits in the series. Ashbrook and Stephanie Etter also had two hits apiece. SIUE was led by Davis, who was 2-for-3.
