March 7, 2007

Softball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYCAMORES SPLIT WITH BELMONT

NASHVILLE – The Indiana State softball team split their doubleheader with Belmont Wednesday afternoon at the Aquinas Softball Field in Nashville.  The Bruins won game one 4-3 in eight innings, while the Sycamores took game two 6-0.

In game one, Indiana State struck first in the top of the first as Sophomore Meredith Simpson led off with a walk, advanced to second on Senior Jackie Chomicki’s sacrifice bunt, and later scored on Junior Katie Iocoangeli’s RBI single to give ISU a 1-0 lead.

The Sycamores added a run in the third when Chomicki was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a single, got to third on a walk, and later scored on Freshman Audrey Childress single to increase their lead to 2-0. 

Belmont got on the board in the bottom of the third when Heather Grossnickle led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a groundout and then scored when Angie Helseth poked a double into left center field to cut the Indiana State lead to 2-1.

The Bruins tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the fourth when Sammi Parks doubled and then was brought home on Sara Bentley’s double to left center.

After neither team scored for the next three innings, the game went to a tiebreaker in the eighth in which each team places a runner on second as they come to bat.

In the top of the eighth Freshman Audrey Childress, who started the inning on second, advanced to second on Senior Natalie Kopp’s groundout and later scored on Freshman Amber Paz’s RBI grounder to give the Sycamores a 3-2 lead.

Then in the bottom of the inning, with Heather Grossnickle on second and two outs, catcher Jess McMillian hit a two-run homerun over the left field wall to give the Bruins a dramatic 4-3 victory, their first home win of the season.

Katie Iocoangeli and Stephanie Spychaj led the Sycamores with two hits each. For Belmont, Jess McMillian went 2 for 4 with a homerun and two RBIs, while Angie Helseth went 2 for 3 with one RBI. 

Darcy Wood took the loss for Indiana State, while Sammi Parks picked up her second win in relief for Belmont.

In game two, the Sycamore’s struck first again as Sophomore Katie Armour singled, then reached second on a fielder’s choice by Katie Iocoangeli.  Then, Audrey Childress doubled into the gap in left center to score Armour and Icoangeli to give the Sycamore’s a 2-0 lead. 

The Sycamores added three more runs in the second.  Amber Paz led off with a single, advanced to second and third on groundouts and then scored on Jackie Chomicki’s RBI single to increase ISU’s lead to 3-0.  Then, Lindsey Starwalt singled to advance Chomicki to second and then later Katie Armour’s RBI single brought home Chomicki to increase the lead to 4-0.  Then, a passed ball allowed Stawalt to come home from third to give the Sycamores a 5-0 lead.

Indiana State scored their final runs in the fourth as Katie Armour singled, advanced to second on Katie Iocoangeli’s single and then scored on Jessica McGivney’s RBI single to make the final score 6-0.

Katie Armour went 3 for 4 for Indiana State with a run scored and one RBI.  Belmont’s Angie Helseth and Sarah Vaughn had the team’s only two hits.

Darcy Wood picked up the shutout for ISU, allowing just two hits over seven innings.  Jennifer Batte took the loss for Belmont.

The Sycamores will be back in action on Thursday (March 8), as they meet Lipscomb for a pair of games to be played at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time in Nashville, Tennessee.