Towson Box Score | Towson Box Score (PDF)
Delaware Box Score | Delaware Box Score (PDF)
GREENVILLE, N.C.- Morehead State's softball team had difficulty producing runs Friday afternoon in their first two games at the East Carolina Pirate Classic as the Eagles fell 4-1 to Towson University and 3-1 in eight innings to Delaware.
MSU is now 1-5 in 2010.
"I really don't know what I can say except that we have to start hitting," said Holly Bruder. " Our pitchers threw pretty well, but we didn't get many hits and we're just not executing at the right times right now."
Senior pitcher Alex Gjevre struck out 10 Towson batters but also surrendered seven walks in five-and-a-third innings in the circle in the opening game. She suffered the loss. Sarah Funston and Elizabeth Wager finished the game in the final inning for MSU.
"I can't fault Alex," said Bruder. "Despite the walks, I think she did what we needed her to do."
Sophomore Sam Woodall led the Eagles at the plate going 2-for-3. The Eagles totaled five hits.
Stef Streets was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI to lead the Tigers, while Mindy Bean and Courtney Wittner also had two hits each - part of an eight-hit day for Towson.
Towson jumped out to a 2-0 in the top of the first inning. Streets laced a two-out, two RBI double after Gjevre had strick out the previous two batters.
The Eagles gained one back in the bottom of the first and didn't have a hit in the inning. Senior catcher Bianca Cardenas reached by being plunked, advanced to second on an illegal pitch and moved to third on a passed ball. Senior Courtney Seiler then walked and went to second on another passed ball. After two strikeouts, Cardenas scored on a wild pitch.
The Eagles were held off the scoreboard the rest of the way by Towson pitcher Katie Lingmai. MSU had at least one runner in scoring position in every inning from the third frame on but could not produce. The Tigers added a run via a single in the fourth and an unearned run in the sixth inning.
Similar to the first game of the day, the Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Delaware. Freshman Amber Riddle collected her first career RBI singling in Wagner - who had reached via a single herself.
Funston started for the Eagles and threw six innings of three-hit ball while only allowing one run with seven strikeouts. The Blue Hens scored off a Jenny Richards' RBI double in the fifth to tie the game at 1-1.
"I really thought Sarah threw great today," said Bruder.
In the eighth inning, Richards was placed on second to begin the frame per the international tiebreaker rule. Gina Knutson laid down a sacrifice bunt to Gjevre - who entered the circle for MSU in the seventh inning. After a walk and a pop out, Cecile Egan singled into right field to score the go-ahead run.
The Eagles had a great chance in their half of the last inning as they put runners on second and third with one out. Kayla Ashbrook was placed on second and went to third in Kayla Brill's single. A ground out sent Brill to second with just one out, but Delaware pitcher Anne Marie Pagano coaxed a fly out and an infield ground out to end the threat.
Gjevre was tagged with the loss again, falling to 0-3. The Eagles had six hits.
The Eagles will play host team East Carolina on Saturday at 4 p.m.
