ECU's Cami Correa connects for a hit during a recent home game. (Photo by Matt Taylor).ECU softballers pound out 17 hits to get split
April 14, 2012ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Cami Correa and Desiree’ Nordie pounded out four hits each while Emily Kennemer totaled three as East Central University salvaged a Great American Conference softball doubleheader split with a 13-1 rout of host Ouachita Baptist on the run rule in six innings.
The win came after ECU dropped a 3-2 decision to host OBU in the opener.
The split moved ECU to 20-15 on the season and 10-10 in the GAC, while OBU went to 17-24 and 5-15.
The two teams are scheduled to meet in another doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m., on Sunday in Arkadelphia, Ark.
ECU 13, Ouachita Baptist 1 (Game 2)
ECU compiled a whopping 17 hits as Correa and Kennemer each homered.
Correa went 4-for-5 with a double in the first inning, single in the third, two-run homer in the fourth and double in the seventh. Nordie was a perfect 4-for-4 with a walk, RBI single in the first inning, bunt-single in the third, double in the fourth, walk in the fifth and RBI double in the sixth.
Kennemer was 3-for-5 with a single in the second inning, double in the fifth and two-run homer in the sixth.
Also contributing big offensively for the visiting Lady Tigers was Shelby Simmons (2-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored).
Brianna Nunley (10-6) tossed all six innings for the win as she scattered five hits, walked three and struck out one. The only OBU run was unearned.
ECU was also helped by four OBU errors as only seven of the ECU runs were earned.
An RBI single each from Nordie and Chelsea Patterson gave the visiting Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
ECU went up 4-1 in the third off a Brianna Baron RBI single and error in which Lacey Williams was credited with an RBI.
Then in the third, Simmons reached on an error to lead off the inning and Correa homered for a 6-1 ECU advantage. Baron later hit a sacrifice fly to center, creating a 7-1cushion for ECU.
An error in the fifth inning upped ECU’s lead to 8-1 and then a five-run sixth inning, off five hits and with the help of an error made it 13-1.
Williams hit a one-out triple before Kennemer later hit a two-run homer, her GAC-leading 11th of the season. Two other runs scored off an error in the inning and Nordie added an RBI double to close out the scoring.
Starter Abbi Frakes (6-12) was charged with the pitching loss for OBU after lasting just 3.2 innings.
Sara Strassemeyer had two of the five hits for the hosts.
Ouachita Baptist 3, ECU 2 (Game 1)
Ali Manship (9-8) suffered the tough-luck pitching loss, despite giving up just two earned runs off six hits through six complete innings. She walked three and struck out three.
ECU fell into a 3-0 hole before Manship tried to help her own cause with a two-run double in the sixth.
An error led to an unearned run for OBU in the first inning and a two-run single by Bailey Sanders made it 3-0 in the third inning. Bailey was credited with all three runs batted in for the hosts.
Rayn House (10-10) got the pitching win for the hosts as she worked all seven innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out five as both ECU runs were unearned.
Patterson went 2-for-3 from the plate for ECU in a losing cause.
