Lady Blues use long ball to defeat Bulldogs

April 19, 2002

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Season Stats

TOPEKA - The Washburn Lady Blues used the long ball in a pair of come-from-behind victories over Truman State Friday afternoon at the Washburn Softball Complex. The Lady Blues hit three home runs in the first game for an 8-3 win and smashed three more in the second game for a 12-9 win in 10 innings.

In the first game, Truman State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a three-run homer by Courtney Strubel in the fourth inning. That home run ended a streak of 50 straight scoreless innings tossed by Lady Blues' pitching. The Lady Blues would get one of those runs back on a Julie Blaufuss home run to lead off the inning.

In the sixth inning, the flood gates would open for the Bulldogs as the Lady Blues scored six runs on only three hits, two of those here home runs. Molly Gleisberg led off the inning with a home run to center then after a walk, fielder's choice and single, Katie Schmidt hit a grand slam to centerfield to clear the bases. The Lady Blues would add one more run in the sixth for the final victory margin.

In the second game, the Lady Blues were down 4-0 entering the bottom of the third inning as the Bulldogs would take advantage of Washburn fielding errors. However, the Lady Blues would cut into the lead scoring three in the bottom of the inning to cut the margin to 4-3. But the Bulldogs would score three in the next frame to open up a 7-2 lead. The Lady Blues would score a pair of runs after Bulldog pitching walked Dawn Nachbar to score one run and Katie Schmidt would drive in the other with a single.

After holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, the Lady Blues Keri Tanner would hit her eighth home run to lead-off the inning after the Bulldogs dropped a foul ball earlier in her at-bat, to tie the game.

In the eighth inning, the Bulldogs' Elizabeth Economon would single to put Truman up 8-7, but the Lady Blues' Nachbar would single to drive in Brooke Lyons who singled to lead off the inning.

Neither team would score in the ninth inning. Truman would add a single run in the top of the 10th to grab the lead again, but that lead quickly evaporated as Kristen Cheney led off the inning with her 10th home run of the season, one short of the school's single-season home run record. After Lyons flew out to center, Dara Clouse would walk, then be forced out by Julie Blaufuss who hit a fielder's choice to shortstop. Nachbar doubled to left field and Blaufuss moved to third. The game was ended after a pitching change by Truman and a three-run home run by Schmidt to end the game.

The home run was Schmidt's second of the day and sixth of the season. For the day, Schmidt was 4 of 7 with 2 runs scored and 7 RBI. Dawn Nachbar reached base in all of her at bats in the doubleheader going 7-7 with three walks, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Katie Gregg picked up both wins in the doubleheader, pitching the complete game in the first game striking out seven with no walks. In the second game, she relieved Ashley Perkins to pitch another 6 2/3 innings for the win. She is now 18-2 this season.

The Lady Blues will play Central Missouri tomorrow at noon at the Washburn Softball Complex.