March 25, 2008

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Tuesday, March 25, 2008) Behind the bat of Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) and the arm of Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, MO/Francis Howell North) the Redhawks softball team swept a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader against Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois at the Southeast Softball Complex. The Redhawks took game one 7-2 before coming from behind and winning the nightcap 7-6 on a one-out sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.

Summers drove in seven of the Redhawks (13-16, 3-5 OVC) 14 runs in the twinbill as she collected five hits, three of which went for homeruns. Two of those homeruns came in game two as she helped the Redhawks erase deficits of 2-0 and 6-4 setting up her record-breaking heroics.

With the score tied at six runs apiece the Redhawks led off the bottom of the seventh with Alex Ramirez (Corona, CA/El Modena) drawing a walk from Panthers (8-13, 4-3 OVC) starter Ashley Robison. Katie Otterness (Schaumburg, IL/Hoffman Estates) then reached on a throwing error by catcher Ally Nolte that moved Ramirez to third. That prompted a pitching change as Kathleen Jacoby came in for Robison. Jacoby got Carmen Fowler (Lawrenceville, GA/Collins Hill) to strike out swinging and was ahead in the count on number nine batter Allie Borowiak (Nashville, IL/John A. Logan CC) 0-2. Borowiak eventually worked the count and reached first on a walk, loading the bases. With no where to put the hot-hitting Summers Jacoby was forced to pitch to her. Summers hit a towering flyball to the leftfield warning track that was deep enough to score Ramirez, who easily scored on a tag-up and giving the Redhawks the come-from-behind victory.

The Panthers struck first in the opening inning, manufacturing two runs off of three hits. T he Redhawks answered with four runs in the bottom of the second.

Lauren Bradley (Overland Park, KS/Shawnee Mission South) opened up the inning with a double to right center. Ramirez followed with a double of her own to center to plate Bradley. Ramirez later moved to third on Fowler's one-out single. Ramirez then scored on Borowiak's sacrifice fly to deep center. Summers then stepped-up to the plate and delivered a two-out two-run homerun to give the Redhawks a 4-2 lead.

That lead would be temporary however as the Panther scored four runs of their own in the third. The Panthers recorded back-to-back homeruns off of Redhawks starter Whitney Dupuis (Sulphur, LA/Sulphur) and threatened for more in the third until Fisher came into the game in relief. With two runners in scoring position she got Melinda Jackson to line out and Megan Nelson to strikeout looking.

In the fourth the Redhawks started chipping away at the Panthers lead as Borowiak drove in Ramirez who had led off the inning with a double. The Redhawks had a chance in that inning for more but couldn't capitalize on a bases-loaded and no out situation.

The Redhawks would have to wait two innings to strike again. This time Summers launched a solo homerun to left field to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth and setting the stage for her gamewinning sacrifice fly.

Summers moved into first on the all-time career RBIs charts for the Redhawks with her game-winning sacrifice fly. She ended the game 3-4 with two homeruns, two runs scored and four RBIs. She also set a team record for the most career multi-homerun game with her third such game. Her two homeruns also gives her a team-leading 10 this season, reaching double-digits in homerun for the fourth time in a season in her career.

Ramirez went 2-3 with two doubles, one RBI and three runs scored. Borowiak went 1-2 with two RBIs.

Fisher (8-11) won her second game of the day as she pitched 4.2 innings of shutout relief. She allowed only two hits and struckout five. It was her 128th career appearance in the circle passing Traci Eudaley for first on the school's career list.

Robison (3-4) received the loss as she allowed seven runs (six earned) in six innings.

In the opening game of the doubleheader Fisher gave the Panthers fits with her variety of pitches and aggressiveness. She held them two runs (one earned) on five hits and struckout nine as she pitched her 13th complete game of the season.

The Redhawks scored the first runs of the game in the opening inning. Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, MO/Cape Central) recorded a two-out single down the leftfield line and scored on Stacia Dopudja (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) singled to rightfield to drive McDonald home.

In the second inning Borowiak walked with one out. Summers then launched a homerun to straight-away center. Jennifer Vasquez (Placentia, CA/El Dorado) followed Summers' two-run homerun with a single to right to chase Panther's starter Karyn Mackie from the game. Vasquez later scored on Bradley's grounder to third.

In the fourth Otterness drove in Dopudja with a single up the middle and in the fifth the Redhawks added two more runs. Summers doubled off the top of the leftfeld fence to plate Borowiak who led-off the inning with a single. Summers later scored on McDonald's sacrifice fly to round-out the Redhawks scoring.

Eight Redhawks collected hit is the opening game with three hitters collecting multiple hits. Summers led the offensive onslaught with a 2-4 performance. She drove in three runs on a double and homerun.

Dopudja went 2-3 with one RBI and Bradley went 2-4 and with her 1-4 showing in game two extended her hitting streak to six games.

The wins against the Panthers improve the Redhawks to a perfect 4-0 at home this season and keep the Panthers winless in Cape Girardeau since the 2004 season.

The Redhawks hit the road again this weekend as they head to Clarksville, Tennessee for a three-game OVC series with Austin Peay. The teams will play a doubleheader against the Lady Govs on Saturday, March 29 starting at 2:00 p.m. before concluding the series on Sunday.