April 28, 2008

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Sunday, April 27, 2008) The Redhawks softball team played shutout ball for six innings, unfortunately there was one inning they couldn't and it gave them a huge deficit to recover from, resulting in a 7-5 loss to Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee-Martin in the series finale at the Southeast Softball Complex on Sunday afternoon.

The visiting Skyhawks (26-24, 10-9 OVC) responded to the Redhawks (24-25, 11-13 OVC) early 2-0 lead with a seven-run fourth inning off of Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, MO/Francis Howell North). The inning was highlighted by Savannah Robert's grand slam homerun as the Skyhawks collected five hits in the inning.

The Redhawks struck first as they scored a run in their half of the opening inning. Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) hit a sharp liner that hit Skyhawks starting pitcher Ashton Strode in the left thigh. Summers beat the ensuing throw from Strode to first and moved to second after Strode's throw enrt into rightfield. Jennifer Vasquez (Placentia, CA/El Dorado) moved Summers to third with her team-high seventh sacrifice bunt of the season. Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, MO/Cape Central) then doubled into the gap in right center for a quick 1-0 Redhawks lead.

In the second inning Stacia Dopudja (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) led-off with her fourth homerun of the season, a towering shot over the centerfield fence to make it 2-0.

After the Skyhawks huge fourth inning, the Redhawks chipped away at the lead with a big inning of their own in their half of the fourth. Lauren Bradley (Overland Park, KS/Shawnee Mission South) led off the inning with a double to centerfield. Alex Ramirez (Corona, CA/El Modena) hit an infield single that moved Bradley to third. Dopudja singled to left to plate Bradley. With one out Carmen Fowler (Lawrenceville, GA/Collins Hill) singled to left center to drive in Ramirez and Dopudja to cut the lead to two, 7-5.

That would be all for the Redhawks as they stranded six runners in the following three innings. Their best chance was in the sixth as Skyhawks reliever Paij Lintz walked Fowler and Whitney Dupuis (Sulphur, LA/Sulphur) to lead-off the inning. However, the Redhawks lined into a 5-4 doubleplay that ended the Redhawks best attempt at a late-inning rally.

Fisher (19-17) received the loss after lasting only four innings. She allowed seven runs (six earned0 on eight hits and two walks.

Lintz (9-7), the reigning OVC pitcher of the week, picked up her second win of the series in relief. She allowed no runs in four innings giving up six hits.

Dopudja led the Redhawks offense going 3-4 with her homerun, two runs scored and two RBIs. It was her 10th multi-hit game of the season.

Summers collected her team-high 20th multi-hit game of the season with a 2-4 performance. She has 228 career hits just three hits shy of the all-time career record.

Bradley also went 2-4 with a run scored.

McDonald collected her team-high 15th double of the season giving her 46 in her career just one behind Summers for the all-time lead.

McDonald and Summers each extended their hitting streaks to six games. Katie Otterness (Schaumburg, IL/Hoffman Estates) extended hers to a season-high four games with a 1-4 day.

The Skyhawks were led offensively by Roberts who went a perfect 3-3 with her grand slam accounting for all four of her RBIs. Roberts went 9-10 in the series with three walks and six RBIs.

The loss dropped the Redhawks into a seventh place tie with Samford in the OVC standings.

The Redhawks conclude the season this coming weekend as they host league-leading Jacksonville State for a three game series starting on Saturday, May 3 with an afternoon doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at the Southeast Softball Complex.