Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The East Central University softball team picked up two win on Sunday, Feb. 16 in the final day of the 8-State Classic hosted by Arkansas-Monticello. The Lady Tigers (7-5) first defeated Nebraska-Kearney 12-1 in five innings and then Oklahoma Panhandle State 19-4 in five.
ECU was led by sophomore
Jordynn VanPelt and senior
Gina Mengwasser, who both hit .750 for the day. VanPelt recorded three hits, two home runs, and added seven RBIs. Mengwasser tallied two home runs and a double and five RBIs.
Sophomore
Lacey Paulk earned the win in the circle against the Lopers, with two hits and one run allowed. Paulk recorded three strikeouts and a .182 opponent batting average. Redshirt Freshman
Sydney Dow earned the second win, with six strikeouts and a .333 opponent batting average.
The Lady Tigers will now get ready to start the Great American Conference portion of the season, Feb. 21-22 when they travel to Arkadelphia, Ark., to face Henderson State. There are double headers scheduled for Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. and Feb. 22 at noon.
Game 1 – ECU 12, Nebraska-Kearney 1
ECU wasted no time getting things started in the opening day of the game, scoring three runs on three-straight home runs in the top of the first inning. Junior
Samantha McGraw hit the first solo shot after the first two outs of the inning were in the books. She was followed by Mengwasser and freshman
Nicole Nordie.
The Lady Tigers added to their total in the top of the second, with two more runs after two outs. VanPelt started things of by reaching on an error and was sent home on a triple by junior
Chelsea Patterson. Sophomore
Lauren Reeves earned the second RBI with a single for a 5-0 lead.
The Lopers scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the second for a 5-1 score.
ECU added three more runs in the third. The bases were loaded when Mengwasser walked, Nordie singled and Sudyam was walked. That allowed sophomore
Amanda Edmundson to hit a sacrifice fly to right field for the first score. VanPelt sent the final two runs home on a single for an 8-1 lead.
The Lady Tigers put the run rule into play with five runs in the top of the fifth. Suydam was walked and stole second to put her in scoring position when junior
Kaile Marcum singled. VanPelt then hit her first home run of the day for two more runs. Patterson kept things going with a single and was joined on base by freshman
Carlee Henderson, who reach on an error. Senior
Tarra Underhill-Christy then sent the final run across the plate with a ground out to second.
Game 2 – ECU 19, OPSU 4
The Lady Tigers again did not waste any time scoring, with a 4-0 lead after the top of the first. Patterson singled and was sent home on a home run by Nordie. McGraw then singled and was sent home on a home run by Mengwasser.
ECU added four more runs in the top of the second for an 8-0 lead. Patterson was hit by a pitch and stole second. Nordie then reached on a fielder's choice that left no one out and the bases were loaded when McGraw walked. Mengwasser added two more RBIs with a double and Tigert sent a run home with a single. Edmundson moved the runners with a single and Marcum earned the final RBI with a single.
OPSU scored the first of their runs in the bottom of the second to make the score 8-2.
The Lady Tigers expanded the lead in the top of the third for a 14-2 advantage. After the first out, Nordie and McGraw singled and the bases were load with a Mengwasser walk. Tigert and Suydam then each earned RBIs with singles. Edmundson hit into a fielder's choice that allowed a run to score and recorded the second out. Marcum hit a single to score one run and then stole second. That set up junior
Kayci Snider to score the final two runs with a single.
OPSU added two more runs in the bottom of the third for a 14-4 score.
ECU was not done scoring, recording five runs in the top of the fifth. Marcum, Snider, junior
Lacey Williams and McGraw all singled, with Williams and McGraw earning an RBI. VanPelt scored the final three runs of the game, with her second home run of the day.
