MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State led for all but four innings of Saturday's softball doubleheader at the Southeast Softball Complex in Cape Girardeau, Mo., but in both games a last-minute Southeast Missouri rally sent the Eagles to defeat 11-7 and 6-5.
It was the third and fourth road contests for Morehead State (4-33/2-14), which has now dropped its last nine games and 14 on the road and fell to 1-27 away from home this year.
"We did everything right for the first five innings," said MSU coach
Megan Griffith of game one. "Then it aal just fell apart."
What was most disheartening for the Blue and Gold was that it led 7-2 after four and a half innings, but then it surrendered six runs in the bottom of the fifth to fall behind and then allowed another three runs in the bottom of the sixth. It could not answer Southeast Missouri (18-13/11-5) in the seventh.
Both teams scored a run in the third inning.
With one out, sophomore shortstop
Sela Pickford doubled to left field. Sophomore designated player
Maddy Christopher followed with a single to center field and then sophomore third baseman Kenrda Lewis' sacrifice fly scored Pickford.
Madison Winkler walked with one out and then stole second. She scored on Sydney Melton's single to center field.
The Eagles opened the floodgates in the fourth as the team sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six times on four hits.
Junior first baseman
Jordan Donato got things started after being hit by a pitch. Freshman second baseman
Victoria Spencer singled, then freshman left fielder
Sophie Collins and junior right fielder
Taikibrea Campbell both walked. Pickford hit her second double, scoring two runs. Senior center fielder
Darlene Montoya added a two-run single and Christopher scored on a wild pitch.
The hosts got one run back in the bottom of the frame. Two hits and some crafty baserunning set up the score, which came off an infield single.
That is when things fell apart for MSU. Brooklyn Saysoff led off with a home run, Melton walked and Gracie Luna added another home run. With two outs, a walk and then a bunt single set the stage for Sydney Dennis, who tripled to right field to score two runs.
The Eagles made a pitching change, but their fortunes did not improve. After a single and a walk, MSU made another move in the circle, and after a walk to load the bases, was able to get out of the inning.
Morehead State, which had at least one hit in each of the first four frames. went down in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh, while SEMO continued to climb back into the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, three singles and two doubles cemented the hosts' lead.
Southeast Missouri collected 10 hits in the final two innings. The Redhawks stranded 11 runners.
Christopher (3-for-4, one run) and Pickford (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI) were the driving force for the Eagle offense which collected seven hits. Montoya and Spencer added the other two. Donato, Spencer, Collins and Campbell all scored. Montoya drove in two runs, while Lewis and Campbell each recorded one.
Nine Redhawks had at least one hit, with six recording two. Nine individuals also scored, while seven registered an RBI. Dennis led the way with a 2-for-4, two-run, three-RBI performance.
Starter, junior
Rylie Burney (2-17) was on target for four innings before things went south. She pitched 4.2 innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits. She also struck out two and walked five. Redshirt freshman
Delaney Overstreet faced two batters, surrendering a hit and a walk, before junior
Emma Solis closed out the contest by pitching the final 1.1 innings. The Redhawks collected three runs on five hits, with one walk and no strikeouts against Solis.
SEMO also used three pitchers. Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week Tegan Livesay lasted 3.1 innings before being replaced. She allowed two runs on three hits. She had one strikeout and no walks. Elliott Stinson faced seven batters in one-third of an inning, giving up five runs on four hits with one strikeout and two walks. Willow Van Haren finished the game, throwing 3.1 innings of perfect softball, striking out four.
Just as in the first game, the two foes played evenly through the first few innings before the scoring began in the fourth. Montoya led off the stanza by being hit by a pitch. Freshman catcher
Nyla Doiron moved her to second with a bunt single and Donato pushed the two up another base with a sacrifice. Spencer then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Montoya to score.
"I thought we really competed in game two," Griffith said. "After the tough finish in game one, we battled back and showed a lot of resiliency. Sela really hit the cover off the ball today and really was the backbone of our offense."
Southeast Missouri also manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff walk, followed by a double and a suicide squeeze sacrifice bunt put the Redhawks on the board.
MSU used a pair of hits and an error to surge back in front 3-1. Campbell reached base on an error to lead off the inning. Pickford singled to right-center field and Christopher reached on a fielder's choice that scored pinch runner
Azea Lightbody. An unsuccessful double steal and a 1-4-3 infield out moved Christopher to third, before she eventually scored on a double to left-center field by Montoya.
The Redhawks matched the score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. A Saysoff two-run single did the trick.
Collins doubled with two outs in the sixth, but was left stranded. SEMO matched the feat with a double of its own, before a Winkler single sent in the go-ahead run.
Pickford hit her third double of the day in the seventh and Christopher reached base on a third-strike wild pitch. Montoya's sacrifice fly scored Pickford. A wild pitch moved Christopher to third and Doiron drew a walk, but the two runners were left stranded when the inning ended.
MSU again finished with seven hits and played error-free defense. However in game two, the Eagles left eight runners on base.
Pickford finished 3-for-4, with a run, while Montoya added a 1-for-2, one-run, two RBI effort. Christopher also had a hit, run and RBI. Doiron and Collins added hits,
Azea Lightbody scored and Spencer drove in a run.
Southeast Missouri split up its eight hits between five players. Melton, Winkler and Tori Bradley each had two. Saysoff finished with two RBI.
Campbell earned the start and pitched four innings of three-hit, one-run softball in her most successful performance to date. She did not have a strikeout and walked one batter. Overstreet pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs, two hits and two walks. Solis also threw for two-thirds of an inning and surrendered one run on two hits, with a strikeout and no walks. Burney suffered the loss to fall to 2-19, after pitching the final inning and yielding one run on one hit, with two walks and no strikeouts.
Maddie Carney started the game for the hosts and pitched five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. She finished with two strikeouts and one walk. Van Haren finished the outing, with two innings of work. She allowed one run on two hits, with two strikeouts and a walk. Van Harend picked up the victory to improve to 4-2.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday to close out the series. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
