Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Minnesota
Softball Swept in Day 2 of Buzz Classic
3/4/2006 1:07:06 PM | Softball
Eagle' Clark finishes day 4-for-7 with two homeruns
ATLANTA, Ga. -- The Eastern Michigan University softball team got swept in a pair of games during day two of competition at the 2006 Atlanta Marriott Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech. The Eagles fell to Minnesota 3-1 and dropped a 7-4 decision to Winthrop in the night cap.
With the losses, EMU falls to 5-11 on the season while Minnesota improves to 7-8 and Winthrop to 6-13.
Against Minnesota, junior shortstop Lauren Clark (Flat Rock, Mich.-New Boston Huron) finished the game 2-for-3 and stole her fifth base of the season. Sophomore outfielder Heather Giroux (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) also went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Senior pitcher Nikki Denman (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Southview) threw six innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits. With the loss, Denman falls to 1-3 on the season.
The Gophers got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third with a two run innings sparked by an RBI double to leftfield.
Minnesota added to its lead the following inning after a lead-off double and two sacrifice bunts to advance the runner across the plate, giving the Gophers a 3-0 lead.
The Eagles scored their lone run in the sixth. Junior outfielder Lindsay Schmid (Madison, Ohio-Madison) drew a lead-off walk. Junior designated player Kayla Bluthardt (North Branch, Mich.-North Branch) brought the run home with a single to right centerfield.
The long ball was in full effect during the battle of the birds, with the Winthrop Eagles and the EMU Eagles combining for seven homeruns. Eastern’s four team homeruns is just one short of the school record for a single-game.
Winthrop used a three run first inning to help put Eastern away. All three runs came off Stephanie Reid’s first homerun of the game. She later hit a two run blast in the fifth inning.
Clark went deep for EMU in the fifth and again in the seventh, both solo shots. She now has six long balls on the season and is four shy of the school’s single season homerun record, currently held by teammate Denman. The two homers move Clark to fourth on the all-time career homeruns list at EMU with 12. She trails the career leader by seven.
Also hitting round trippers today for the Green and White was senior catcher Katie Grens (Elgin, Ill.-Elgin) and Schmid, each solo homers.
The Eagles are in action again next weekend when they participate in the Kansas Jayhawk Classic, March 12-14. EMU has games scheduled with Portland State, host Kansas, and a rematch with Minnesota.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)