Softball Splits at IPFW

Wednesday, April 30

Fort Wayne, IN

3:00 PM

Wright State University

26-23

Fort Wayne (Game 1)

14-20

Wright State

Fort Wayne

4/30/2008 12:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: WSU Athletic Media Relations

The Wright State softball team looked to be in line for a sweep at IPFW Wednesday afternoon, winning the first game 12-3 in five innings and leading 4-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth in the second game, but the Mastodons rallied for six in their half of the fifth and held off a Raider rally in the seventh to win the nightcap 6-4.

The Raider offense came out on fire in the opening contest, scoring all 12 of its runs in the first three innings. WSU scored four in the first, including a two-run double from Kristen Bradshaw and a RBI single by Justin Shilt, and added three more in the second on Jherica Williams' 14th home run of the season, a three-run bomb to left center.

Wright State tacked on five more in the third on a run-scoring single from Louie Haney, an illegal pitch to allow Briauna Birl to score and a three-run home run to left center by Bradshaw, her 10th of the year.

Sharon Palma (12-9) picked up the win as she struck out four over five innings. Offensively, Haney had three hits and scored three runs to lead the Raiders while Jamie Perkins had two hits and also scored three times, Bradshaw two hits and five RBI and Shilt two hits.

Williams singled in Perkins to put Wright State up 1-0 in the first inning of game two and the Raider advantage grew to 2-0 in the fourth as, with two outs, Allison Cox had a hit and Shilt followed with a double to the gap in right center.

WSU extended the margin to 4-0 in the fifth on a two-run Perkins single and looked to add more with the bases loaded and one out, but IPFW pitcher Amanda Olender (8-8) pitched out of the jam by striking out Bradshaw and getting Cox to fly out to center.

That seemed to be the turning point of the contest as after the Mastodons loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a fielder's choice, a walk to Rachel Staschuk produced the first run and back-to-back home runs from Abby Liden and Tara Mickelson, Liden's being a grand slam, gave IPFW a 6-4 lead.

Wright State looked to be in great shape to tie the game in the seventh by loading the bases with no outs on hits from Birl and Perkins and Haney reaching on an error. Staschuk, however, earned the save by striking out Williams and Cox with a Bradshaw line out in between.

Perkins and Birl each had three hits in the second game while Williams had two.

Wright State, now 26-24 on the season, closes out the regular season this weekend with a three-game Horizon League series at UIC, starting with a 2:00 Eastern doubleheader on Saturday.