Box Score vs. Nicholls State
Box Score vs. East Tennessee

TROY, Ala. – It took overtime, twice, but the Eastern Kentucky University softball team opened its 2012 season with a pair of victories on Friday.  EKU downed Nicholls State 7-4 in 10 innings and beat East Tennessee State 3-2 in eight innings.

Against Nicholls State (1-5), EKU scored a run in the top of the first and held the lead until the bottom of the seventh.  Junior Raquel Howes picked up where she left off last season.  After hitting a school single season record 13 home runs in 2011, Howes homered in her first at bat of 2012, a solo shot in the first that staked Eastern to an early lead.

Freshman Katie Tackett hit her first collegiate home run in the top of the third with a runner on to push the lead to 3-0.  Nicholls put two runs on the board in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a Colonel error to plate an unearned run.

Freshman pitcher Leanna Pittsenbarger kept Nicholls State at bay until the bottom of the seventh inning.  After a lead-off walk, Pittsenbarger retired the next two batters.  However, an RBI single up the middle tied the score and forced extra innings.  In her collegiate debut, Pittsenbarger allowed two earned runs over seven innings.  She walked three and struck out six.

Both teams scored a run in the eighth.  The Colonels finally pulled away in the top of the 10th.  With two outs and a runner at first base, Tackett kept the inning alive with a single to left field.  Shannon McQueen followed with a double to left center to plate Howes and give Eastern a one-run lead.  A Nicholls State fielding error moments later allowed two more runs to come home.

Freshman Shaylon Robb, who came on in relief in the eighth, held Nicholls State at bay in the bottom of the 10th.  She allowed one run in three innings, walked one and struck out two on her way to her first collegiate victory.

Tackett finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.  McQueen was 2-for-4 with a run and two driven in.  Howes was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.  Junior college transfer Carissa Reisinger scored twice in her EKU debut.

The Colonels scored first against East Tennessee State (0-6) as well.  McQueen’s RBI single in the bottom of the first put EKU out in front 1-0 early in the game.  ETSU platted two runs with two outs in the top of the third but Eastern answered in the bottom half of the inning.  Tackett’s RBI double scored Howes to tie the game.

The game remained knotted at 2-2 until the eighth inning.  With two outs and a runner on third base, junior Cheyanne Pounds singled to left field to plate the winning run.

Robb started for Eastern Kentucky and pitched six innings.  She allowed two runs on six hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter.  Pittsenbarger came on in relief and pitched the final two innings without allowing a hit to earn her first collegiate victory.  Reisinger went 3-for-4 with a run scored.  McQueen finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

The Colonels continue play at the Quality Inn Classic on Saturday.  The day’s schedule has been changed.  EKU faces No. 5 Missouri at 9:30 a.m., and Troy at 2:30 p.m.