March 22, 2011

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Murray State split a doubleheader Tuesday in Ohio Valley Conference softball action at Cougar Field.

SIUE, now 10-17 overall and 2-3 in the OVC, won game one 6-4 and dropped the nightcap 3-0. The Racers are now 5-16 overall and 1-7 in the OVC.

"This has been a season of ups and downs. Hopefully, we can get on a run and get it going," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery.

Erika Taylor evened her record at 8-8 with the victory in the opener. She struck out eight and allowed two earned runs over the seven innings. It was Taylor's 13th complete game of the season.

Taylor Tooley was 2 for 2 for the Cougars in game one and blasted her third home run of the season in the sixth inning for the eventual game-winning hit.

"Taylor is probably hitting the best of anybody on our squad," said Montgomery. "She understands hitting. She has matured a lot as a player. I'm really happy with where she is at."

Both teams were scoreless after four innings before Murray State took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Leslie Bridges entered the game as a new designated player and doubled to right center. She would score on an RBI single by Taylor Wilson.

SIUE rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Tooley led off the inning with a single. She scored off a double by Kasey Schlafke, who took third on the throw. SIUE would load the bases and scored twice, once off an infield error and another on a walk to shortstop Chelsea Yankolovich.

Lauren Buch, who finished 2 for 3, hit her sixth home run of the season for Murray State to cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth.

SIUE would extend the score with another three-run rally in the sixth. Tooley homered after Rachel Coonrod led off the inning with a double. Yankolovich added another RBI on a fielder's choice when the Murray State defense was unable to get an out with the bases loaded.

Murray State would score a pair of unearned runs in the seventh. Shelby Kosmecki took the loss for the Racers and is now 1-3.

The Racers' Chelsey Sullivan tossed a two-hit shutout in the second game. Schlafke and Paige Sheeder would collect the only hits for the Cougars.

Jenna Bradley's two-run home run in the fifth kept the Cougars at bay.

Ali Downing suffered the loss and is now 1-8. Lindsey Coleman threw 2 2/3 innings in relief and faced the minimum number of players doing it.

SIUE continues OVC play this weekend with a three-game series at Morehead State. Saturday's action begins with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The two teams play a 1p.m. single game Sunday in Morehead, Ky.

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