Jennifer Moore |
Seventh Inning Rally Falls Short Against Eastern Illinois
Feb. 29, 2008
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Indiana softball team dropped its second game of the day at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., falling to the Eastern Illinois University Panthers, 4-2. Jennilee Huddleston continued her hot hitting for the Hoosiers, collecting three more hits and two RBI in the loss.
For the fifth time in seven games, the opponent got on the board in the first inning to put Indiana in an early hole. Eastern Illinois (1-3) got two runs in the bottom of the first and was aided by an IU (1-6) error that allowed the inning to continue.
In the top of the fourth inning, Huddleston and Tory Yamaguchi came up with back-to-back hits with one out and Emily Bergeson followed with a walk to load the bases. But the struggles for Indiana with runners in scoring position continued as they inning came to a close with the Hoosiers unable to plate a run.
The bottom of the inning saw the Panthers get a two-run home run, runs that proved to be the difference in the game.
So the Hoosiers came up to bat in the top of the seventh trailing 4-0 but were not ready to go away quitetly. Jennifer Glueckert started a two-out rally with her second hit of the game, a single back up the middle and Julia Hamilton followed by reaching on an error by the EIU shortstop. Brittany Devitt drew a walk to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Jennilee Huddleston.
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Huddleston already had two hits in the game and a third would get IU right back in the game. And she did just that, with a sharp single right back up the middle that scored two runs. However, the throw from the center fielder was cutoff by the first baseman in the circle who quickly fired to second base where the tag was applied by the second baseman to get Huddleston trying to advance and end the game.
Jennifer Moore (0-1) started in the circle for the Hoosiers and was solid, allowing two earned runs in 4.0 innings of work but was still saddled with the loss. Alyssa Maiese came on in relief and had her best outing as a Hoosier, going 2.0 innings and giving up just one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.
Karyn Mackie (1-1) got the win for Eastern Illinois by allowing two runs on seven hits and five strikeouts.
Indiana continues play at the Frost Classic on Saturday morning against Buffalo at 9:45 a.m. Unlike the two games on Friday, the game against the Bulls will be played at Chattanooga State Technical Community College. Their second game of the day, against Chattanooga, will be played back at Frost Stadium and can be seen live on Chattanooga's website, www.gomocs.com. To access the game, go to the website and select `softball' from the `sports' button at the top of the page. From there, click on schedule at the top and scroll down to the Indiana vs. Chattanooga game and click on the icon at the right.
