Pittsburg, Kan. -- Jessica Brooks hit a solo
shot to right field in the top of the seventh inning tonight to tie
the game at seven and that's how it stood as weather forced
tonight's softball with Pittsburg State to end in a 7-7 tie. The
second game of the scheduled double-header was also
cancelled.
The tie is the first ever recorded tie in Missouri Southern
softball history.
Southern (4-14-1) scored first when Dawn Grass doubled to left
center and then scored when Whitney Clute reached on an
error.
Pitt (6-6-1) added three runs in the bottom half of the inning
when an error allowed one run and Erin DeStefano drove in two with
a single.
The Lions, however, would answer back with three runs in the top
of the second as Brooks cleared the bases with a double off of the
left center field wall. Southern added another run in the third on
a bases-loaded walk to Natalie Nelson, scoring Kiley
Sibenaler.
Pit scored two in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game
at five and then another in the fourth to go ahead 6-5.
Both teams scored runs in the fifth. The Lions worked the bases
loaded and pinch hit with Angie Turner who worked the count full
then drew an RBI walk to tie the game at six.
Pitt's Amanda DeCastro put the Gorillas up 7-6 in the bottom of
the sixth with an RBI single through the left side.
That set up the seventh for the Lions. With two outs on the
board, Brooks came to the plate. After working a 1-1 count, she
took an outside pitch over the right field fence to tie the
game.
Pitt got a two-out single in the bottom half of the inning, but
Kelli Bax got Ali Scruggs to ground out to first to end the
inning.
At that point, both coaches and umpires agreed to not play extra
innings.
Brooks went 2-4 with four RBIs, a run, a double and a homer.
Megan Roark and Krista Bomak had two hits each, while Breanna
Volkmann had three hits and scored once. Grass, Lauren Hasty and
Whitney Clute all had a hit each.
Tiffany Bennett started for the Lions and allowed two earned
runs in three innings of work. Bax relieved Bennett and went four
innings, scattering four hits and allowing only one earned
run.
The two teams won't have to wait much longer to face-off as the
Lions will open up the 2010 Pitt State Invitational this Friday
against the host Gorillas at 4 pm.
