Mountaineer Softball Team

STAFF REPORTS
(Press Release 3-14-06)

Lady Mountaineer Softball Team Back on Winning Streak

The Lady Mountaineers Softball team have gotten back on the winning track. After starting the season with 18 consecutive wins they dropped three straight before winning the MidWest JUCO Softball Classic this past weekend in Broken Arrow, OK. Their record now stands at 22-3 with an impressive 15 shoutouts, six no hitters and two perfect games.

After the back to back to back losses this past week the win at Broken Arrow was made that much sweeter by defeating NEO 4-0 in the winners final. Eastern had lost two games at home to NEO on Tuesday before the tournament after dropping a 4-3 decision to North Central Texas on Monday.

The Lady Mountaineers responded by downing Allen County, KS 10-0 in four innings to open tournament play on Saturday. Marge Johnson picked up the win, striking out 11 and allowing one hit.

Hutchinson, KS fell victim next though not surrendering without a fight. Hutch scratched out an unearned run in the first before Eastern answered with a two run shot by Ashley Graham in the bottom of the first. Kasey Kimbrough led off the fourth with a solo shot and Rhonda McClung added another solo shot to lead off the fifth as the Lady Mountaineers took control of the 5-1 win, upping Pittman’s record to 11-2.

Johnson took the circle for the third game of the day against Colby, KS. Kimbrough once again led off an inning with a solo shot in the second inning. In the third inning Brittany Day was hit by a pitch, Laney Anderson singled and Johnson hit a three run shot to start the onslaught, followed by a solo homerun by Graham. Lesley Boyd walked to lead off the fourth and later scored. Kimbrough led off the fifth with a single before Mullaney hit her walk-off homerun to finish the run rule victory. Johnson record rose to 10-1 with the win.

On Sunday the Lady Mountaineers faced NEO in the winners final of bracket play. NEO had defeated Crowder 4-2 and Northern 7-2 to get to their side of the bracket. The clash of the Titans of the tournament proved to be everything anticipated.

Johnson dueled Tamika Barnes of NEO through four scoreless innings. Boyd led off the fifth with a walk and was driven in by Caitlyn Crotty on a two-run homerun to right, Crotty’s first of the season. NEO failed to answer in the bottom half and Eastern came back on the offensive in the fifth. Barnes walked Johnson, respecting her power, Graham bunted for a base hit, followed by long fly balls by Kimbrough and Boyd, both outs. Mullaney doubled to right, driving in Johnson and Graham for the final runs of the game as Johnson continued to cage NEO’s offense.

Johnson allowed only one hit, in the first inning while striking out 11 and walking four. The win moved her record to 11-1 on the season.

The scoring has come courtesy of the long ball most of the time as the Lady Mountaineers hit nine dingers at Cowtown, 8 at the Eastern Classic and 7 at the Midwest JUCO Classic. Jaclyn Mullaney has hit two walk off homers already this season.

The Ladies of Eastern have demonstrated their ability to win in tournaments. In three tournaments so far this year they have combined to outscore their opponents 23-0 at the Cowtown Classic, 29-5 at the Eastern Spring Softball Classic and 27-1 at the Midwest JUCO Classic compiling a 13-0 record in tournament play.

The pitching duo of Karla Pittman and Marge Johnson, each with 11 wins, have continued to baffle opposing teams. Johnson leads the nation in strikeouts with 155 in 72 innings pitched for a 2.15 per inning average. Second place in the nation is averaging 1.85. Johnson is also currently 4th in the nation in ERA with a 0.056 and Pittman ranks 5th at 0.175.

The staff has combined to get ahead of hitters throwing 396 first pitch strikes to 595 batters.

The offense is not far behind the pitching either. Johnson also ranks second nationally in homeruns hit with 9. Ashley Graham is currently 15th with five homeruns and three girls, Lesley Boyd, Jaclyn Mullaney and Kasey Kimbrough are tied for 31st with three homeruns each. The Lady Mountaineers have shown some pop with the bats belting 29 homeruns in 25 games so far this year.

Mullaney leads the team in hitting at .413 and Johnson is second at .403 with Graham coming in third hitting .389 Overall Eastern is hitting .335 as a team averaging 5.56 runs a game while surrendering only one run on defense.

The Lady Mountaineers next take the field March 23 at Tishomingo against Murray State at 2:00, followed by a trip to Midwest City on Saturday, March 25 to play Rose State and on to Altus March 28 for a doubleheader with Western. The next home game is set for Thursday, March 30 against Seminole State at 2:00. A make-up date for the game rained out with Connors last week has not been set as of yet.