TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Indiana State softball team split a pair of games with SEMO in its 2010 home opener at Price Field on Wednesday afternoon. The Sycamores first dropped a 5-3 contest in eight innings to the Redhawks, but rebounded with a 4-2 win in the nightcap, improving to 11-6 on the year.
GAME 1 - SEMO 5, INDIANA STATE 3
In game one, SEMO took an early lead, plating a single run in the top of the third inning and another run in the fifth.
The Sycamores tied the score at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, starting with Bailey Wittenauer leadoff single up the middle. Wittenauer was replaced at first base by pinch runner Kacy Kestner, who moved to second when Lindsey Beisser was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt from MacKenzie Connelly, Stephanie Jonson drove in both Kestner and Beisser with a two-run double to right-center.
The game stayed tied at 2-2 until extra innings rolled around. Aided by the international tiebreaker rule that begins the inning with a runner on second base, SEMO plated three runs in the top of the eighth. The Sycamores rallied for one run in the bottom of the inning, but could not complete the comeback, falling 5-3.
Stefanie Barnes (5-6) earned the complete-game win for the Redhawks, going eight innings and giving up seven hits. Meagan McCurdy (5-4) took the loss, throwing 7.1 innings and striking out 11 batters.
GAME 2 - INDIANA STATE 4, SEMO 2
In the second contest, SEMO jumped out immediately, as Nicole Troncoso scored in the top of the first. The Redhawks nabbed one more run in the fourth from Carmen Fowler, and it would prove to be their final offensive threat of the day. ISU answered with a pair of runs in the fourth, as Alyssa Doyle ripped a triple to right center to bring Kellie Szablewski and Rachel McCleary across and put the Sycamores ahead 2-1.
Indiana State added another run on two hits in the fifth, as a pinch running Stephanie Robinson scored on Jonson's single to left. The squad chipped in one more run in the final frame, with Szablewski reaching on a hit to center and coming in on Alyssa Marcum's hard groundout to second. The Sycamores finished the game with a 4-2 win, grabbing their 11th victory of the season before heading into conference play.
Doyle and Marcum each finished 2-for-4 in game two, and Marcum added a pair of RBI.
Sara Evans was credited with the winning after four innings of work, striking out five in the first win of her career. SEMO's Whitney Dupuis took the loss, going six innings and surrendering nine hits to ISU.
The Sycamores return to action on Saturday, March 17, traveling to MVC foe Creighton for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (ET).
