LAS VEGAS – Sycamore Softball had a productive season opening day of work, falling short in a tight 4-3 game to Virginia Tech in the morning and taking a defiant 11-5 victory over UNLV in the afternoon for a Day One split at the 2017 Sportco Kick Off Classic on Friday.
 
"For this being the first day out, we did a lot of good things, but there's a lot of things we need to work on," said ISU head coach Shane Bouman. "We'll regroup and get ready to go again tomorrow."
 
Game One:
Virginia Tech (1-0), 4
Indiana State (0-1), 3
WP: Carrie Eberle (1-0)
LP: Kenzie Ihle (0-1)
S: Aysha Richardson (1)
 
It was a pitcher's duel for much of the season opener between the Sycamores (0-1) and Hokies (1-0), as Indiana State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and held onto it through four scoreless innings from transfer Kenzie Ihle.
 
Virginia Tech, though, burst the game open with a three-run fifth inning on two Hokie doubles from Olivia Lattin and Breanna Davenport to take a 3-1 lead. VT added one in the sixth on a solo home run by Vanessa Gonzalez off relief pitcher Kylie Stober, but the Sycamores made things very interesting down the stretch in the bottom of the seventh.
 
With one out, senior Kassie Brown (1-3) got the rally started with a bunt single, which sparked a double by leadoff hitter Bailey Martin (2-4) and an RBI single by Erika Crissman (1-3) to cut the lead to 4-2. Senior Brooke Riemenschneider and freshman Becky Malchow (2-3) were walked in succession with the bases loaded both times to cut the Hokie lead to 4-3.
 
Following Malchow's walk, though, Virginia Tech swapped their starter Carrie Eberle after 114 pitches for Aysha Richardson, who came in with the bases loaded for a one-batter save.
 
"We know Virginia Tech has a nice team," Bouman said. "Offensively, they can do a lot of things, so for us playing outside and having a close game with a chance to win at the end was big."
 
Game Two:
Indiana State (1-1), 11
UNLV (0-1), 5
WP: Kylie Stober (1-0)
LP: Kwyn Cooper (0-1)
S: Kenzie Ihle (1)
 
The afternoon show featured an offensive explosion with 11 runs on 13 hits and six UNLV errors – with ISU scoring at least one run in each of the final five frames and at least two in four of the last five.
 
Leading the assault was sophomore transfer catcher Brooke Mann, who ended up a triple short of hitting for the cycle at 3-for-3 with a three-RBI home run, a double and a single. Mann, a transfer from Wisconsin, started 12 games and played in 33 for the Badgers as a freshman in 2016.
 
Mann wasn't the only productive Sycamore in the matinee game, though, as freshman Becky Malchow stayed hot from the first game and went 2-for-3 again with three RBI – including a two-run double to give Indiana State a 3-1 lead in the third inning that it wouldn't relinquish.
 
On the day, Malchow was 4-for-6 with four RBI. Combined, Malchow, Mann and all the Sycamore newcomers were 7-for-12 in the second game with two doubles, one home run and six RBI. There were four total Sycamores with multiple hits, the final being senior Erika Crissman, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
 
"We're glad (the newcomers) are Sycamores," Bouman said. "Brooke Mann is a tough kid that has been through a lot; couldn't be happier for her. But we've got a group where everybody has to be ready to go at all times. We use everybody in different aspects of the game."
 
The Sycamore pitching staff was also effective, with junior Minnesota transfer Kylie Stober (1-0) taking the win after four solid innings with only two runs yielded. Kenzie Ihle came in relief in the fifth inning to get the save with 2.1 innings pitched and only two hits allowed.
 
"We think a lot of our pitching staff," Bouman said. "It's a little different when you get out there on the dirt. There were some control issues, but I think that's just getting outside. We can throw well on turf inside, but you have to get outside in the elements."
 
The Sycamores will be back at it tomorrow morning with a 12 p.m. ET tilt against Louisville and a 4:30 p.m. contest against CSU Bakersfield.
 
"It's the start of the season. We've got stiff competition out here, but that's part of it," Bouman said. "We're in a good spot, we've just got to keep getting better."
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Softball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.