Lady Stars drop pair of double headers at home

Softball team gives up a total of 22 runs in four games, while only scoring 5

April 15, 2009
By Marcus Johnson
Sports Writer

Photo by Christopher Izatt

The UIS Prairie Stars softball team continued their offensive woes this past week, dropping a pair of conference home double headers. The pair of double headers paired the Lady Stars up against AMC conference rival McKendree University who came into the games with a 15-12 (4-4) record, and Columbia College who are ranked 23rd in the nation.  The first day of double headers were last Wednesday against an offensive minded McKendree team, in which the Stars dropped 12-2. In the first inning of game one, the Bearcats capitalized off of the Lady Stars early on. A total of three errors were charged to the Stars, and the Bearcats scored three runs off of the errors in that inning. The Bearcats continued to pile on the runs in the top of the fourth inning, adding four more to the scoreboard. In the bottom of the fourth, the Stars finally took that goose egg off the scoreboard, piling up two runs off a RBI double by Kristin Kruger and a RBI single by Jessica Yocum. The Bearcats put the game away for good in the fifth inning adding two more runs, and for safe measures adding three more in the sixth inning.  The second game of the day turned into a pitching duel between the two teams. McKendree’s Autumn Allen allowed on two hits on the game, while striking out 13 batters she faced and only walking one.  The two hits that she allowed during the game were both by Kristin Kruger.  Brianne Moeller for the Lady Stars was very impressive also giving up three hits, no earned runs while striking out six batters. But she ended up on the losing side of the ball with the Bearcats scoring the lone run of the game on an error in the second inning.

The second pair of double headers were against the always tough Columbia College. In game one, the Stars were matched up against the All-Conference pitcher Valerie Teter.  She and Brianne Moeller for the Stars both turned the game into another pitching duel. Each player tossed no hitters through seven innings. The Cougars of Columbia finally put a run on the board in the eighth inning, and it proved to be a winning one. Teter finished the game with twelve strikeouts and one walk. Moeller finished the game giving up one run while striking out two batters. In the second game of the double header, Columbia came out of the gates scoring runs. They put up a total of seven runs in the first two innings. They ended up winning the game 8-3.

The Lady Stars will be back in action today with a double header against Missouri Baptist. Game one starts at 2pm.