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February 24, 2007 Softball FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SYCAMORES SPLIT ON DAY TWO OF TIDE CLASSIC TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Sycamores (6-1, 0-0 MVC) went into play at the Hampton Inn Tide classic Saturday with a 2-0 record for the weekend. In the first of two games on Saturday the Sycamore’s were set to meet #5 Alabama (12-0, 0-0 SEC) at 1:30 p.m. followed by a 5:30 p.m. game against Winthrop (4-5, 0-0 Big South). On day one Junior Darcy Wood got off to a great start going 9.0 innings giving up only 6 hits and one unearned run in the victory over #22 N.C. State and following that up with the save, entering in relief in the game against Western Kentucky. Freshman Audrey Childress also got off to a quick start batting for a .429 average going 3 for 7 at the plate with a double and a triple to her credit. Game 1 Indiana State vs. #5 University of Alabama The Sycamores sent Pre Season All-MVC Pitcher Junior Darcy Wood (4-1) to the mound to counter Junior Chrissy Owens (6-0) of Alabama who owns the lowest returning ERA in the nation from a season ago (0.68). The scoring began in the bottom of the 3rd as Sophomore Kellie Eubanks of Alabama sent a shot over the left field fence for a 1-run homerun, turning on an inside pitch from Wood. In the 4th the scoring resumed as Alabama got a couple runners on base before Sophomore Lauren Parker singled to right field driving in a run moving the score to 2-0 in Alabama’s favor. The other runners were left on base as Wood stuck out Eubanks, who had the homerun earlier in the game, to end the inning. In the bottom of the 6th Parker of Alabama got one in the air and it carried out of the park with the wind to straightaway center field moving the score to 3-0 for Alabama. Indiana State had trouble getting anything going off Owens of Alabama with only 3 hits going into the top of the 7th inning. However, in the top of the 7th things started to look good for the Sycamores as Freshman Audrey Childress led off the inning with a solo homerun to center field making the score 3-1 in Alabama’s favor. With the Solo Blast the Sycamore’s became the first team to score a run on Alabama in the Hampton Inn Tide Classic and it was only the 2nd earned run scored against Owens of Alabama all season in 40 innings pitched. The Sycamore’s upset bid ended by a margin of 3-1 as Owens gave up another hit to Freshman Rachel McCleary but struck out the last batter to end the game. Junior Darcy Wood had another solid game despite taking the loss as she held the #5 team in the country to 3 runs on 8 hits and accumulating 5 strikeouts pitching another complete game. Freshman Audrey Childress was the story of the game for the offense as she went 1 for 3 with the homerun. Alabama was keyed by pitcher Chrissy Owens (7.0 innings, 13 k’s, 5 hits and 1 earned run) and second baseman Sophomore Lauren Parker (2 for 3, 2 RBI’s and 1 run scored). #5 Alabama 3 (13-0, 0-0 SEC) Indiana State 1 (6-2, 0-0 MVC)
Game 2 Indiana State vs. Winthrop Winthrop came into the game coming off a loss earlier in the day to #22 N.C. State, dropping the game by a score f 3-2. For the tournament Winthrop possessed a record of (1-2) while the Sycamore’s stood at (2-1). This game would determine the seeding order for Sunday’s games as the Sycamore’s would claim the #2 seed with the victory and with the loss there would be a series of tiebreakers to determine the #2, 3 and 4 seeds. The starting pitchers were Freshman Megan McCurdy (2-0) for Indiana State and Freshman Cari Woolridge for Winthrop. The Sycamores got on the board early, scoring a run in the bottom of the 1st as Junior Katie Iocoangeli singled, driving in Junior Lindsey Starwalt. In the bottom of the 2nd the Sycamore scoring continued as Senior Julie Damico lined a single up the middle, driving in fellow Senior Yvette Tovar from third, making the score 2-0. The Sycamore’s added more runs before the end of the 2nd as Sophomore Katie Armour singled in a pair of runners moving the score to 4-0 to close the inning. Winthrop got on the board in the top of the 3rd and Indiana State responded in the bottom half of the inning adding four more runs to their total making the score 8-1. After several lineup changes along the way the game ended with by a score of 9-5. The Sycamores filled up the stat sheet in this game with ten players recording at least one hit and six players recording at least one RBI. Junior Lindsey Starwalt went 2 for 4 at the plate accounting for one of those RBI’s and scoring a run. Winthrop’s Senior Jenny Scrymgeour had a big night going 2 for 4 at the plate with four RBI’s and one run scored. Indiana State 9 (7-2, 0-0 MVC) Winthrop 5 (4-6, 0-0 Big South) With the win the Sycamores claim the #2 seed in the tournament going into play on Sunday. Indiana State’s first game of the day will be against the #3 seed N.C. State Wolfpack. If the Sycamore’s win the first game they will play the winner of Alabama/Winthrop for the tournament title at 1:30 p.m. central time. The following is the seeding after the first two days of competition with their records for the weekend: #1 University of Alabama (4-0) #2 Indiana State (3-1) #3 N.C. State (2-2) #4 Winthrop (1-3) #5 Western Kentucky (0-4)
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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