TERRE HAUTE, IN ? It turned out to be an incredible senior day for the Indiana State softball program as the team was down by four runs going into the fifth inning but ended up coming back to win the game 11-4 for their eighth straight victory of the 2008 season, the longest winning streak for the program since 1990.

The Panthers' Ashley Lepley took Meagan McCurdy's pitch over the center field fence for the first run of the day to put the visitors up by one.  Then in the third inning, UNI increased their lead by three runs off of four hits until Sycamore head coach Brenda Coldren made a pitching change and brought Katie Armour (4-8) into the circle.  Armour came into the game with one out and runners occupying all bases but was able to get the Sycamores out of the inning without letting anymore runners cross the plate. 

Down 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the Sycamores' bats came to life as they plated eleven total runs in the next two innings.  Meredith Simpson doubled to left field which advanced senior Lindsey Starwalt to third who was on base after being hit by a pitch from UNI's Jen Larsen.  Christina Meyers followed with an RBI single to the third baseman who was on her knees fielding the ball but could not put the tag on Simpson advancing to third as Starwalt scored her twelfth run of the season.  Katie Iocoangeli, one of three seniors, doubled to left field to plate Simpson and put Meyers at third.  Armour continued the hot hitting as she laid down a single to right scoring Meyers, advancing Iocoangeli to third, and bringing the Sycamores within one. 

After four consecutive Sycamore hits, it was time for a Panther pitching change as Sarah Bakey came into the game to replace Larsen.  Amber Paz and Leslie Fakes came in to pinch run for Iocoangeli and Armour.  Audrey Childress, who is currently ranks second on the Sycamore squad in batting average (.328), singled to bring home Paz, tie the ballgame at 4-4, and move Fakes over to second.  Both runners advanced a base due to a wild pitch from Bakey but Sam Markowski sent them both home after she hit a deep 2-RBI single to left centerfield to give the Sycamores a 6-4 lead.

As if that wasn't enough, the Sycamores carried that momentum over to the bottom of the sixth inning where their bats remained on fire.  Starwalt started off the inning by smacking a leadoff solo homerun to right centerfield, her second of the season.  With Simpson on first after being walked for the third time in the game, Iocoangeli hit her second double of the day to put runners on second and third.  Armour tacked on a double of her own as she brought in Simpson and Iocoangeli to cushion the lead for the Sycamores 9-4.

Once again, UNI made a pitching change and brought in Liz Adams to try and end the game.  Childress, who was the first batter the last time the Panthers made a pitching change, singled to left field as she did her previous at-bat to put runners on the corners.  Kelsey Anderson, the final senior on the team, hit an RBI-double to left field to score Armour, increase their lead to 10-4, and advance Childress to third.  Markowski tallied her third RBI of the day when she hit a sacrifice-fly to left field to bring home Childress for the last run of the game for a final score of 11-4.

Katie Armour picked up the win for her fourth straight pitching victory.  In the game, the Sycamores set three game highs for the season ? eleven runs, eleven RBI, and six doubles are the most for the team this year.