RELEASE DATE: 4/17/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: History has to wait at least a day as Mountie split with IUP

Game One Boxscore
Game Two Boxscore

MANSFIELD – The Mansfield University softball team will have to wait at least one more day to see if they earn a history making berth in the PSAC playoffs after splitting a doubleheader with IUP Friday afternoon at Helen Lutes Field.

Mansfield won the opener 2-1 on a complete game seven-hitter by Melissa Baer but dropped the nightcap 16-12 in 10 innings.

Mansfield, which completed its regular season, holds a two win lead over IUP after the doubleheader. IUP has to play a doubleheader against last-place Clarion on Saturday. If IUP would win both games and tie Mansfield for third place in the PSAC Central, the final playoff spot between the two would be determined by a coin-toss at the PSAC headquarters.

In the opener, Baer continue her impressive season scattering seven hits and striking out three while walking none to earn her sixth win of the season.

IUP scored a run in the top of the first but Mansfield took the lead on a two-run home run by Nicole Yost in the bottom of the third which proved all Baer would need.

It was the eighth home run of the season for Yost, the most in a season by a Mountaineer player since Jackie Laskowski belted nine in 2003.

The nightcap had more turns and twist than a NASCAR road-race.

IUP scored three times in the top of the first but Mansfield took a 5-3 lead with four runs in the bottom of the third with two of them coming on a double by Sarah Cullen. IUP scored three times in the top of the fourth to retake the lead and added two more in the fifth to hold an 8-6 advantage.

But Mansfield got three runs in the bottom of the fifth, including two on a single by Janelle Antes, to retake the lead at 9-8.

IUP tied the game with a run in the top of the sixth and scored three more runs in the top of the eighth. But Mansfield came back again, this time on a dramatic three-run home run by Katie McConville to tie the gme at 12-12.

IUP got four runs with two outs in the 10 to finally win the game.

Yost and McConville each had three hits for Mansfield while Baer, who pitched the last eight innings of the nightcap after going all seven in the opener, was charged with the loss.

GAME ONE

IUP                         100         000         0              1-7-1
Mansfield               002         000         0              2-4-1

IUP (16-19, 3-10): Holloway (L, 9-12) and Goettman
2b – Daughenbaugh, McCromick Allman, Palmerio           RBI – McCormick

Manfield (14-17, 6-9 PSAC Central): Melissa Baer (W, 6-7) and Jen Stein
2b – Stein            HR – Nicole Yost (8)         RBI – Yost 2

GAME TWO

IUP                         300         321         030         4              16-19-2
Mansfield               104         130         030         0              12-16-2

IUP  (17-19, 4-10): Holloway, Shaffer (5) (W, 6-8) and Goettman
2b -James, Tunno, Goettman     HR – McCormick 2 (4), Goettman (8), Ferguson (4)          
RBI –McCormick 7, Leslie 3, Tunno 2, Ferguson 2, James, Goettman

Mansfield (14-18, 6-10 PSAC Central): Kami Bishop, Melissa Baer (3) ((L, 6-8) and Erin Carroll
2b – Janelle Antes, Yost, Cullen 3b – Antes          HR – McCoville (4)

RBI – McConville 3, Cullen 2,Antes 2, Megan Trutt, Yost