TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (April 7, 2017) - Central Missouri relied on pitchers
Alexa Bradley and
Katie Giacone to quiet the hot bats of Northeastern State. The two pitcher's did just that, thanks in part to three double-plays, and the offense did just enough to sweep the RiverHawks with a pair of 4-3 scores. The wins snap a four-game losing streak for UCM and put them at 19-20 for the season and 9-5 in the MIAA.
Game One: Central Missouri 4, Northeastern State 3
Central Missouri took the lead in the second inning and never looked back. Carlie Rose kicked off the scoring with a two-out RBI single driving in Lauren Mabe.
The Jens extended their lead putting up three runs in the fifth inning. Alex Leonhart drove in the first run and Courtni Smith capped the inning with a two-out, two-RBI single, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Central Missouri pitchers needed to work around a couple of jams to keep the RiverHawks off the board. With one out and runners on first and second, Jennies starter Katie Giacone got a line out and a strikeout to squash the threat. Giacone, earned the win going 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits with six strikeouts.
The infield defense also turned two double plays to help their pitchers out. The first came in the fourth with the bases loaded. Mabe snagged a line drive and stepped on first for the unassisted double play.
Northeastern State got on the board with a pinch hit three-run home run in the sixth from Kaleigh Hinkle to bring the RiverHawks within one.
Alexa Bradley entered to get the final two outs of the sixth. She allowed a leadoff walk to start the seventh, but after a ground out, Hailey Crabtree started a double-play to preserve the win for the Jens.
Bradley earned her fifth save of the season tossing 1.2 hitless innings giving up a walk and striking out one. The five saves tie the Jennies single-season record for saves, done four times previously.
Smith collected two hits and two RBI for the Jens. Mabe and Crabtree also knocked a pair of singles. Makayla Schoonover reached base twice with a single and a walk.
For the RiverHawks, the big hit came from Hinkle, a pinch-hit three run home run. Haley Acrey had two of NSU's four hits and also walked. Jessica Wolf pitched all seven innings allowing four runs (one earned) on 10 hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Game Two: Central Missouri 4, Northeastern State 3
Bradley came back to start game number two and picked up right where she left off, closing out the opener. She was cruising allowing just one hit and no runs after six innings. With a 4-0 lead in the seventh, Bradley ran into trouble and a two-out, bases- clearing double ended her day. Giacone came in and got the final out, a deep fly ball that the ballpark was just big enough to hold to preserve Bradley's eighth win of the year.
Bradley and RiverHawks starter Taryn Gray were dealing zeros to start the game. Neither team had a hit after three complete innings. Makayla Schoonover changed all that, beating out an infield single before stealing her 19th base of the season to get into scoring position. She came around to score the games first run on Mabe's RBI single.
The Jennies scored two more in the fourth with another two-out RBI from Carlie Rose and a run-scoring error, boosting the lead to 3-0.
An inning later, Schoonover drove in what proved to be the game-winner with an RBI groundout plating Lauryn Deer who led off with a triple.
Bradley finished the game throwing 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Giacone earned her fourth save of the season getting the final out of the game. With the two saves today, the Jennies have set a team-record now with nine saves in the season.
Deer collected two of the Jennies five hits, including her team-leading fourth triple. Mabe collected another hit, giving her three for the day and leaves her one hit behind the Jennies all-time hits record of 222.
Gray threw all seven innings giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. The RiverHawks knocked only three hits, the biggest coming from Kelsey Harmon, a three-run double in the seventh.
The Jennies will spend the night in the Sooner State. They play Central Oklahoma tomorrow afternoon in Edmond with a 12 p.m. start.
