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February 23, 2007 Softball FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SYCAMORES DOWN #22 N.C. STATE AND WESTERN KENTUCKY TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Indiana State University Sycamores opened play in the Hampton Inn Crimson Tide Classic with a pair of big wins on Friday. The Sycamores topped No. 22 North Carolina State 2-1 and then defeated Western Kentucky by the identical 2-1 mark. The Sycamores are now 6-1 on the season and will play host Alabama, the fifth ranked team in the country, at 1:30 p.m. followed by a 5:30 p.m. game against Winthrop. The top four teams will play on Sunday in two semifinal games at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. with the championship set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday. All games of the Tide Classic are scheduled to be played at the UA Softball Complex (1,595 capacity). Game 1 - (Indiana State vs. N.C. State) The Indiana State opened play of the Hampton Inn Tide Classic as they met up with the 2006 ACC Champion N.C. State Wolfpack (7-2). The Sycamore’s sent Junior Ace Darcy Wood (3-1) to the mound and N.C. State countered with Megan Dalthorp (1-0) making her second start of the season. The game was kept to a stalemate through 7 innings as the score remained at 0-0 with N.C. State managing 3 hits compared to the Sycamores 4. In the top of the 8th the Wolfpack looked to be in good position as they moved a runner to 3rd base with only one out but a strong pickoff move by Darcy Wood picked off the runner from 3rd halting N.C. State’s chances in the inning. The Sycamore half of the inning started with Freshman Amber Paz laying down a bunt moving Junior Lindsey Starwalt to 3rd base but the Sycamores couldn’t get her home as the next two batters were each thrown out at first. The game then moved to the top of the 9th with the score still tied at 0-0. N.C. State got a rally going as the runner from second was moved to 3rd with both runners ending up safe. With runners at 1st and 3rd Wolfpack Freshman Allison Presnell came up with a timely hit, driving in the runner from 3rd giving her team the 1-0 advantage. The rally was cut short and the score remained 1-0 going into the Sycamore half of the inning. With runners at 1st and 3rd Freshman Audrey Childress came to the plate with 2 outs and the game on the line. She ripped a ball out to right field and as the fielder failed to come up with the catch both runners came around to score ending the game and giving the Sycamore’s the victory over the #22 team in the country. The star of the game for the Sycamore’s was Darcy Wood as she went the whole way pitching 9.0 innings giving up 1 unearned run on 6 hits while striking out a season high 12 batters. Wood’s pitching record on the season now stands at (4-1) while the Sycamore’s as a team are now (5-1). For the offense Freshman Audrey Childress went 2 for 4 at the plate with her long blast in the 9th accounting for the two winning runs. The Wolfpack effort was keyed by Senior Jen Chamberlin who went 1 for 3 at the plate driving in the team’s only run. Indiana State 2 (5-1, 0-0 MVC) N.C. State 1 (8-3, 0-0 ACC) Game 2 - (Indiana State vs. Western Kentucky) Coming off the extra inning thriller against #22 N.C. State, the Sycamore’s (5-1) met a Western Kentucky team that was coming off a defeat at the hands of Winthrop earlier in the day. With the loss the Hilltoppers record moved to (4-8) heading into the game with Indiana State. The Sycamore’s sent Freshman Megan McCurdy to the mound for her 2nd start of the season looking to add another win to her (1-0) record. The starting pitcher for Western Kentucky was Sophomore Jennifer Kempf making her 6th start of the season (2-3). Indiana State got on the scoreboard in the top of the 3rd as Junior Katie Iocoangeli laced a single into right field to drive in teammate Sophomore Meredith Simpson from second who has led off the inning with a single. The Sycamore’s added a run in the 4th off the bat of Sophomore Lauren Kebely. The Hilltoppers posted a run in the bottom of the 6th courtesy of Sophomore Terri Ellingsworth. The Hilltoppers treatened to score again in the bottom of the 6th but Junior Darcy Wood, who entered in relief, stopped the rally short and the score remained 2-1. The game ended in the Sycamore’s favor as they posted the 2-1 victory over Western Kentucky in 7 innings. The player of the game for the Sycamores proved to be starting Pitcher Megan McCurdy as she went 5.0 innings giving up 2 hits with the only run scored being unearned. The key player for the Hilltoppers was Terri Ellingsworth as she recorded a hit and a run in her pinch hit appearance. Indiana State 2 (6-1, 0-0 MVC) Western Kentucky 1 (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt) You can follow the games live through the University of Alabama website at: http://www.rolltide.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=8000&ATCLID=801292
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