East Central Uses Home Runs to Sweep RiverHawks
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – East Central used home runs to overtake Northeastern State for a doubleheader sweep in Lone Star Conference play at the NSU Softball Complex Monday, 4-2 and 11-9.
The RiverHawks fall to 6-18 for the year and 1-7 in Lone Star Conference action. East Central is now 17-7 and 5-3.
In the opener the Tigers scored single runs in the first, fourth, sixth and seventh innings for a 4-0 lead before the RiverHawks struck for two runs in their half of the seventh.
Sydney Chaplin reached on a fielding error. April Marsee pinch ran forChapin. Marsee moved to second base on a single by Lisa Ripperger up the middle. Megan Heskett then pinched hit for Jenney Collins and singled to center field scoring both Marsee and Ripperger.
Heskett moved to third on the play at the plate for Ripperger. Courtney Baker then lined out to center field to end the NSU rally. The RiverHawks pounded out five base hits with Ripperger hitting safely twice.
East Central’s Kasey Barber who went 3-for-7 at the plate for 7 runs batted-in the second game, powered the Tigers to the victory with three home runs.
The RiverHawks led the Tigers 9-7 entering the seventh inning when East Central’s Barber connected for her third homer of the game, a 3-run shot over the left center field wall.
Northeastern held a 5-3 lead after two innings with a five-run explosion in the second. The big hits were a 2-run RBI single by Cayce Coleman and a Hilderbrandt 2-run RBI double to left field.
The RiverHawks took a 6-3 lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Shelbi Bowen, her fifth of the season. Bowen homer cleared the left center field fence. The Tigers added a run in the fifth before scoring three times in the sixth on a 3-run homer by Barber for a 7-4 ECU lead.
Northeastern scored three unearned runs in its half of the sixth on two base hits and two East Central errors for a 9-7 lead going into the seventh inning.
The RiverHawks’ Coleman took the loss in the circle, giving up 10 hits, walking two and striking out 6. Coleman is now 4-7 for the year. Northeastern pounded out 11 base hits against two ECU pitchers, with Baker, Heskett, Bowin and Coleman getting two hits each.
The Tigers’ Wanda Moore got the win, her second of the day, in relief of Randee Crockett. Moore is now
EAST CENTRAL 4-11, NORTHEASTERN STATE 2-9
First Game
East Central 100 101 1 – 4 9 1
Northeastern State 000 000 2 –2 5 2
Malone and Nordie; Craig and Hilderbrandt. W: Malone (6-3). L: Craig (1-8). HR: Sanchez (2), Nordie (5).
Second Game
East Central 120 013 4 –11 10 2
Northeastern State 050 103 0 –9 11 0
W: Malone (7-3). L: Coleman (7-4). HR: Gaines (1), Barber 3 (5); Nordie (6), Bowin (5).
