Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, March 27
Clarksville, Tenn.
11 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
3
at
1
Austin Peay State
Clutch Hitting Lifts Softball in Game One; Splits with APSU
3/27/2011 5:19:10 PM | Softball
Sarah Gerber supplies walk-off home run in extra innings to take game one; Skodinski blasts two round-trippers in game two
Box Scores: Game One; Game Two
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team relied on a walk-off homerun to take the first of two this afternoon in Clarksville, Tenn. to split with the Lady Governors of Austin Peay State University.
The Eagles (11-5) were set to play the Lady Governors in a 1:30 matchup yesterday afternoon, but rain and lightning suspended the game until today, March 27. The game resumed this afternoon in the third inning with APSU leading, 1-0.
The Green and White relied on late-inning heroics at the plate, as the Eagles faced a one run deficit heading into the seventh. As the designated home team for the contest, EMU needed to push a run across to stay alive.
Kayla Kostich (Taylor, Mich.-Cabrini) drew a walk to start the bottom of the seventh and was relieved by Shaina Peters (East Jordan, Mich.-East Jordan) to pinch run. Peters advanced to second on a passed ball and was sacrificed to third on a well-placed bunt by Nellie Coquillard (Niles, Mich.-Niles). Courtney Nicholson (Navarre, Ohio-Canton Central Catholic) recorded in an infield single, placing runners at the corners. With two outs and the game on the line, Kaylee Tolliver (Amanda, Ohio-Clearcreek) was called upon to pinch hit and delivered as the junior connected on a clutch RBI-double down the leftfield line to knot the score at one apiece.
The Eagles continued to push in extra innings. Lauren Delapaz (Plymouth, Mich.-Canton) kicked off the bottom of the eighth with a single to centerfield. Stacie Skodinski (Southbend, Ind.-Washington) dropped a sacrifice bunt to advance Delapaz to second base. Hitless at the plate in her first three at bats, Sarah Gerber (North Canton, Ohio-Hoover) waited for the opportune moment to register her lone hit in the contest. With one out and the score tied, the junior belted a walk-off, two run shot over the leftfield fence to lift the Eagles over the Lady Govs, 3-1.
Pitcher Lauren Wells (Lowell, Ind.-Lowell) showcased her best performance of the season after striking out a career-high 10 APSU hitters in 30 batters faced. The ten strikeouts also tie the sixth most recorded in a single game by any EMU hurler. The sophomore also went eight innings on the mound in her complete game effort and improves to 2-1 on the year.
In the second game, the Eagles dropped a 5-4 decision to APSU, narrowly missing on a second come-from-behind win opportunity.
Skodinski blasted a solo shot in the top of the first to quickly put the Eagles ahead, but APSU put together a three-run rally in the bottom of the frame to jump to a 3-1 lead.
Another solo shot, this time off the bat of Kostich, closed the EMU deficit to one in the second inning, but the Eagles would not tally another run until the top of the sixth. With the score set at 5-2, Skodinski belted her second round-tripper of the game to bring the Eagles within one, but APSU managed to end the threat and sneak away with the 5-4 win.
EMU recorded five hits in the game, led by Skodinski's two homerun, 2-for-2 performance at the plate. She also knocked in three RBIs, scoring twice. Her multi-homerun game is the second of her career, with her previous acheivement dating back to March 14, 2009 in the Eagles 8-4 win over Illinois-Chicago.
EMU will return to action on Tuesday, March 28, when they travel to Detroit, Mich. to take on the Titans of the University of Detroit Mercy in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team relied on a walk-off homerun to take the first of two this afternoon in Clarksville, Tenn. to split with the Lady Governors of Austin Peay State University.
The Eagles (11-5) were set to play the Lady Governors in a 1:30 matchup yesterday afternoon, but rain and lightning suspended the game until today, March 27. The game resumed this afternoon in the third inning with APSU leading, 1-0.
The Green and White relied on late-inning heroics at the plate, as the Eagles faced a one run deficit heading into the seventh. As the designated home team for the contest, EMU needed to push a run across to stay alive.
Kayla Kostich (Taylor, Mich.-Cabrini) drew a walk to start the bottom of the seventh and was relieved by Shaina Peters (East Jordan, Mich.-East Jordan) to pinch run. Peters advanced to second on a passed ball and was sacrificed to third on a well-placed bunt by Nellie Coquillard (Niles, Mich.-Niles). Courtney Nicholson (Navarre, Ohio-Canton Central Catholic) recorded in an infield single, placing runners at the corners. With two outs and the game on the line, Kaylee Tolliver (Amanda, Ohio-Clearcreek) was called upon to pinch hit and delivered as the junior connected on a clutch RBI-double down the leftfield line to knot the score at one apiece.
The Eagles continued to push in extra innings. Lauren Delapaz (Plymouth, Mich.-Canton) kicked off the bottom of the eighth with a single to centerfield. Stacie Skodinski (Southbend, Ind.-Washington) dropped a sacrifice bunt to advance Delapaz to second base. Hitless at the plate in her first three at bats, Sarah Gerber (North Canton, Ohio-Hoover) waited for the opportune moment to register her lone hit in the contest. With one out and the score tied, the junior belted a walk-off, two run shot over the leftfield fence to lift the Eagles over the Lady Govs, 3-1.
Pitcher Lauren Wells (Lowell, Ind.-Lowell) showcased her best performance of the season after striking out a career-high 10 APSU hitters in 30 batters faced. The ten strikeouts also tie the sixth most recorded in a single game by any EMU hurler. The sophomore also went eight innings on the mound in her complete game effort and improves to 2-1 on the year.
In the second game, the Eagles dropped a 5-4 decision to APSU, narrowly missing on a second come-from-behind win opportunity.
Skodinski blasted a solo shot in the top of the first to quickly put the Eagles ahead, but APSU put together a three-run rally in the bottom of the frame to jump to a 3-1 lead.
Another solo shot, this time off the bat of Kostich, closed the EMU deficit to one in the second inning, but the Eagles would not tally another run until the top of the sixth. With the score set at 5-2, Skodinski belted her second round-tripper of the game to bring the Eagles within one, but APSU managed to end the threat and sneak away with the 5-4 win.
EMU recorded five hits in the game, led by Skodinski's two homerun, 2-for-2 performance at the plate. She also knocked in three RBIs, scoring twice. Her multi-homerun game is the second of her career, with her previous acheivement dating back to March 14, 2009 in the Eagles 8-4 win over Illinois-Chicago.
EMU will return to action on Tuesday, March 28, when they travel to Detroit, Mich. to take on the Titans of the University of Detroit Mercy in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
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