LAS CRUCES, NM ? After losing their first two games of the 2008 season, the Indiana State softball team regained some momentum after knocking off Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State 5-2 in Game Three of the New Mexico State Tournament. The Sycamores played two games Friday and two games today (Saturday) for a 1-3 record thus far.
In their first game versus Samford, the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning en route to a 3-1 victory. The Sycamores had four hits compared to the Bulldogs' five, but couldn't get away from making costly errors that allowed the Bulldogs to get two across the plate. Sophomore Meagan McCurdy was at the mound for the Sycamores striking out four.
In Game Two, Indiana State started out strong against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi going up 3-0 in the first inning. The bases were loaded after freshman Leslie Fakes doubled to left center and advanced to third after a single by Christina Meyers. Meyers advanced to second base on the throw and a passed ball by Corpus-Christi allowed Fakes to cross home plate. Junior transfer Britt Boyer then singled to right field and drove in two runs for the Sycamores. That lead was short-lived as the Islanders put four runs on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. The Sycamores got two more runs but it wasn't enough as the Islanders scored seven more to secure the 11-5 victory.
Down two games to none, the Sycamores were thirsty for their first victory of the tournament and of the 2008 season. After taking the initial 1-0 lead in the first inning, Indiana State got a boost from Boyer who hit a solo homerun to ignite the Sycamores. By the end of the fourth inning, the Sycamores were up 3-1 on the Cowgirls. They would add two more runs in the fifth thanks to a 2-RBI single by senior Katie Iocoangeli. The Cowgirls got one run back in the seventh inning but it wasn't enough as the Sycamores defeated Oklahoma State 5-2, capturing their first victory of the 2008 season.
Head coach Brenda Coldren commented on the win against the Big-12 opponent. “It was a great win for our program,” said Coldren. “We came out, played hard, and Meagan [McCurdy] did a great job of keeping them off balance and doing what she needed to do in the circle. We came out with enthusiasm and determination and that's what made the difference.”
In their fourth game against host New Mexico State University, the Aggies came out swinging, scoring eight runs in just the first inning. They would tack on three more in the third before the Sycamores got on the scoreboard after a grand slam by junior catcher Sam Markowski. The Aggies scored six more runs in the fourth to take a convincing 17-4 victory.
“We saw some progress this weekend considering it was our first time playing outside,” Coldren said focusing on a positive note. “We have some key injuries and some people not playing right now but once we are back to full strength, you should see a different team out there.”
“We need to be more consistent whether it's at bat or on the pitcher's mound,” continued Coldren. “We have been very up and down this weekend and lacked a bit of leadership in the circle so once our pitchers settle down, we will be fine.”
The Sycamores have one game yet to play and that takes place at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday) against Utah Valley State. That game will be available via live stats and it can be found at http://www.nmstatesports.com/.
