Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Minnesota
Eagles Fall, 4-0, To Minnesota In Rain-Shortened Game
2/27/2010 1:39:00 PM | Softball
The Eagles fell victim to a no-hitter thrown by Minnesota's Lacey Middlebrooks at the FGCU Invite
Box Score
FORT MYERS, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) – In the first of two games on the day for the Eastern Michigan University softball team, rain prevented any late-inning comeback as the game was called after four and two-thirds innings. Minnesota came out on top in a 4-0 victory behind Lacey Middlebrooks' no-hitter at the FGCU Invitational at the FGCU Softball Complex in Fort Myers, Fla. The loss drops the Eagles' record to 1-1 as they'll face St. Francis (Pa.) in the night cap beginning at approximately 7:15 p.m.
In the circle for EMU, making her first regular season collegiate start, was Jenna Ignowski. The Gophers of the Big Ten Conference got to the freshman early by putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first. After giving up a leadoff single to Minnesota's Barnes, Ignowski recovered to sit down Howard looking at strike three. She got the next batter to fly out before the Gophers embarked on a two-out rally. Al. Davis singled before a two-run double by Carls put the Eagles in a 2-0 hole.
That was all Middlebrooks needed as she carried the Gophers the rest of the way. The Eagles put two on with one out in the second inning as Allison Scherer reach on a hit by pitch followed by a walk to Sarah Gerber, but Middlebrooks sat down the next two batters to stop any potential scoring threat.
That started a stretch of eight consecutive batters retired for Middlebrooks, who received a bit of insurance after her team added two runs in the fourth, both unearned due to a pair of Eagle miscues. In the bottom half of the fifth inning, the Gophers loaded the bases with one out before the game was delayed due to rain and eventually called.
First pitch between the Eagles and Red Flashes is set for 7:15 p.m. at the FGCU Softball Complex. Follow it live with live stats provided by FGCU. Go to EMUEagles.com and click the live stats link shown in the schedule calendar on the home page.
