Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, March 17
Louisville, KY
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4
at
2
Louisville
Green and White Split with Louisville on St. Patrick's Day Showdown
3/17/2007 5:04:30 PM | Softball
Junior Ashley Strauss extends hit streak to nine game
Game one box score
Game two box score
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Green and White only had the luck of the Irish for the opening game in a twin bill with the University of Louisville on a St. Patrick’s Day showdown, Saturday afternoon here at Ulmer Stadium. EMU split the doubleheader with the defending Big East Conference champions, taking game one 4-2 and dropped the nightcap 3-2. Junior Ashley Strauss recorded three hits in the twin bill and extended her hit streak to nine games.
In game one, juniors Stephanie Sabo, Jessica Grant and Strauss each posted multi-hit performances. Strauss extended her hitting streak to eight games, while Grant extended her hit streak to six, while knocking in a run. Sabo also scored and registered an RBI.
Senior Aimee Woodrum (2-3) limited the Cardinals to just five hits in the complete game win. She recorded four strikeouts.
Senior shortstop Lauren Clark led-off ripping the first pitch of the game down the right field line and hustled down the base path to third base with a triple. Sabo lined a shot in to left field driving in Clark. A two-out walk to freshman Jenny Scherer put runners at first and second, but both remained on base after a strikeout ended the inning with the Eagles taking the early advantage, 1-0.
Melissa Roth led-off the bottom half of the first with a single to center field. Woodrum retired the next three batters with two foul pop outs and a strikeout ended the frame with EMU still up 1-0.
The Cardinals took the lead in the third after a double and two hit batters loaded the bases for UL clean-up hitter Brooke McCrain who rocketed a shot off the glove of junior Lindsay Ritz at third base, bringing two run across the plate.
EMU retook the lead in the sixth, senior Lindsay Schmid walked to start the inning and was replaced by freshman Jessica Patterson who entered as a pinch runner. Pinch-hitter senior Kayla Bluthardt was plunked by a pitch, advancing her to first and Patterson to second. Grant singled to the middle of the outfield, dropping just in front of the Cardinal center fielder. The ball bounced off the UL fielder allowing both Patterson and Bluthardt to score, giving the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
The Green and White added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Sabo reached base with a one-out walk followed by a single by Strauss to left field. Both runners advanced bases after an infield grounder by Schmid. Both runners advanced bases again after an illegal pitch was called on Cardinal pitcher Kristen Wadwell, bringing Sabo across the plate.
In the bottom of the seventh, Woodrum got the first two batters to fly out. A two-out triple by Roth put the tying run at the plate, but Woodrum struck out the next batter to secure the Eagle victory.
In the nightcap, four different Eagles account for all of EMU’s hits, with Strauss leading the way with an RBI triple that extended her hit streak to nine. A double by Grant pushed her hit streak to seven.
Freshman Michelle Hletko (0-4) threw the first three and 1/3 innings, while senior Kelly Tomczak pitched the final two and 2/3.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, plating two runs in the first off back-to-back bases loaded singles.
The Eagles tied the game up at 2-2 in the top of the third. A walk to Ritz followed by a single to right center field by Heather Giroux started the inning. A force out a third on a ground ball accounted for the first out of the inning. Sabo hit a hard grounder toward second base, the UL second baseman flipped the ball to the shortstop for the force out, who riffled the ball third catching Giroux in a run down, the third baseman’s throw went off Giroux’s batting helmet, allowing her to cross the plate and Sabo to advance to third. Strauss came up next and belted a shot off the right field wall for an RBI triple, pitting the score at 2-2.
The Cardinals broke the tie in the home half of the third, after back-to-back one-out singles put runners at first and second. Ritz made an amazing diving snag at third to record the second out. A slow grounder by Audrey Rendon to shortstop led to a bang-bang play at first base, which saw the runner called safe, meanwhile the speedy Kristi Cunningham motored around the bases and in under the tag at home plate after Rendon was called safe at first, giving UL a 3-2 advantage.
In the fifth, the Cardinals led-off the frame with a double and a single, putting runners at the corners with no outs. A quick liner to Grant at second registered the first out. A wild pitch by Tomczak brought the UL runner charging toward the plate, but she called out at home when catcher Heather Han fired the ball in to Tomczak who was covering at home. A fly out to left field ended the threat without a runner crossing the plate.
In the seventh inning Grant belted a two-out shot that landed in right center field for a double, but a fly out to left field game the Cardinals the victory.
The Eagles (4-12) will be in action again next weekend, March 23-25, participating in the Indiana University Classic in Bloomington, Ind. EMU has games scheduled with host Indiana, Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo and Illinois-Chicago. The Eagles open the tournament with the host Hoosiers at 2 p.m., Friday March 23.
Game two box score
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Green and White only had the luck of the Irish for the opening game in a twin bill with the University of Louisville on a St. Patrick’s Day showdown, Saturday afternoon here at Ulmer Stadium. EMU split the doubleheader with the defending Big East Conference champions, taking game one 4-2 and dropped the nightcap 3-2. Junior Ashley Strauss recorded three hits in the twin bill and extended her hit streak to nine games.
In game one, juniors Stephanie Sabo, Jessica Grant and Strauss each posted multi-hit performances. Strauss extended her hitting streak to eight games, while Grant extended her hit streak to six, while knocking in a run. Sabo also scored and registered an RBI.
Senior Aimee Woodrum (2-3) limited the Cardinals to just five hits in the complete game win. She recorded four strikeouts.
Senior shortstop Lauren Clark led-off ripping the first pitch of the game down the right field line and hustled down the base path to third base with a triple. Sabo lined a shot in to left field driving in Clark. A two-out walk to freshman Jenny Scherer put runners at first and second, but both remained on base after a strikeout ended the inning with the Eagles taking the early advantage, 1-0.
Melissa Roth led-off the bottom half of the first with a single to center field. Woodrum retired the next three batters with two foul pop outs and a strikeout ended the frame with EMU still up 1-0.
The Cardinals took the lead in the third after a double and two hit batters loaded the bases for UL clean-up hitter Brooke McCrain who rocketed a shot off the glove of junior Lindsay Ritz at third base, bringing two run across the plate.
EMU retook the lead in the sixth, senior Lindsay Schmid walked to start the inning and was replaced by freshman Jessica Patterson who entered as a pinch runner. Pinch-hitter senior Kayla Bluthardt was plunked by a pitch, advancing her to first and Patterson to second. Grant singled to the middle of the outfield, dropping just in front of the Cardinal center fielder. The ball bounced off the UL fielder allowing both Patterson and Bluthardt to score, giving the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
The Green and White added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Sabo reached base with a one-out walk followed by a single by Strauss to left field. Both runners advanced bases after an infield grounder by Schmid. Both runners advanced bases again after an illegal pitch was called on Cardinal pitcher Kristen Wadwell, bringing Sabo across the plate.
In the bottom of the seventh, Woodrum got the first two batters to fly out. A two-out triple by Roth put the tying run at the plate, but Woodrum struck out the next batter to secure the Eagle victory.
In the nightcap, four different Eagles account for all of EMU’s hits, with Strauss leading the way with an RBI triple that extended her hit streak to nine. A double by Grant pushed her hit streak to seven.
Freshman Michelle Hletko (0-4) threw the first three and 1/3 innings, while senior Kelly Tomczak pitched the final two and 2/3.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, plating two runs in the first off back-to-back bases loaded singles.
The Eagles tied the game up at 2-2 in the top of the third. A walk to Ritz followed by a single to right center field by Heather Giroux started the inning. A force out a third on a ground ball accounted for the first out of the inning. Sabo hit a hard grounder toward second base, the UL second baseman flipped the ball to the shortstop for the force out, who riffled the ball third catching Giroux in a run down, the third baseman’s throw went off Giroux’s batting helmet, allowing her to cross the plate and Sabo to advance to third. Strauss came up next and belted a shot off the right field wall for an RBI triple, pitting the score at 2-2.
The Cardinals broke the tie in the home half of the third, after back-to-back one-out singles put runners at first and second. Ritz made an amazing diving snag at third to record the second out. A slow grounder by Audrey Rendon to shortstop led to a bang-bang play at first base, which saw the runner called safe, meanwhile the speedy Kristi Cunningham motored around the bases and in under the tag at home plate after Rendon was called safe at first, giving UL a 3-2 advantage.
In the fifth, the Cardinals led-off the frame with a double and a single, putting runners at the corners with no outs. A quick liner to Grant at second registered the first out. A wild pitch by Tomczak brought the UL runner charging toward the plate, but she called out at home when catcher Heather Han fired the ball in to Tomczak who was covering at home. A fly out to left field ended the threat without a runner crossing the plate.
In the seventh inning Grant belted a two-out shot that landed in right center field for a double, but a fly out to left field game the Cardinals the victory.
The Eagles (4-12) will be in action again next weekend, March 23-25, participating in the Indiana University Classic in Bloomington, Ind. EMU has games scheduled with host Indiana, Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo and Illinois-Chicago. The Eagles open the tournament with the host Hoosiers at 2 p.m., Friday March 23.
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