Gorillas and Mavs split twin bill
Josh Letner
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports
The Gorilla softball team (28-19, 8-6 MIAA) got off to a slow start, losing the first game of a double header 9-0 to the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (36-11, 10-4 MIAA) before bouncing back for a 5-0 win in the nightcap Tuesday night at the PSU Softball Complex.
In the first game, the Gorillas only managed four hits off of UNO starter Melissa Negrete, while the Mavs rattled off 11 hits and scored all nine of their runs in the final two innings.
"We've had all of these one-run losses, and I had predicted that we were going to have a letdown eventually because we kept losing in the end, and they're only human," coach Brad Horky said. "Now we've had that, so I'm glad we got that out of the way, and we came back against the No. 19 team in the nation and got the split, and we're still in the race for second place."
The Gorillas were fueled in the second game by a dominating performance by pitcher Melissa Slayden, who pitched 6-2/3 scoreless innings for her 18th win of the season.
Slayden pitched her way out of a one-out jam in the third inning. After a pair of walks, Horky went to the mound to settle his pitcher down. Following the conference on the mound, Slayden struck out Treigh Yates and got Molly Feitchtinger to hit into a fielder's choice, ending the threat.
The Gorillas did all of their offensive work in the fifth inning as they rattled off five runs and chased UNO starter Ashley Lynch from the game. Jessica Jones led-off with a single to left, then in a strange turn of events, Horky brought in Alycia Fivecoats to pinch-hit for Ali Scruggs. After Fivecoats picked up two strikes, Horky sent Scruggs back to the plate. The gamble paid off when Scruggs singled to left.
Amanda "Mannie" DeCastro drove in the first run of the game with a double to center field. It was the only extra-base hit of the game.
After an error led to the Gorillas' second run, Beth Haley was called in to pitch for the Mavs, but she was unable to stop the bleeding. On what was perhaps the most exciting play of the game, DeCastro scored on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Maria Bernal.
In the first game, the Gorillas only managed four hits off of UNO starter Melissa Negrete, while the Mavs rattled off 11 hits and scored all nine of their runs in the final two innings.
"We've had all of these one-run losses, and I had predicted that we were going to have a letdown eventually because we kept losing in the end, and they're only human," coach Brad Horky said. "Now we've had that, so I'm glad we got that out of the way, and we came back against the No. 19 team in the nation and got the split, and we're still in the race for second place."
The Gorillas were fueled in the second game by a dominating performance by pitcher Melissa Slayden, who pitched 6-2/3 scoreless innings for her 18th win of the season.
Slayden pitched her way out of a one-out jam in the third inning. After a pair of walks, Horky went to the mound to settle his pitcher down. Following the conference on the mound, Slayden struck out Treigh Yates and got Molly Feitchtinger to hit into a fielder's choice, ending the threat.
The Gorillas did all of their offensive work in the fifth inning as they rattled off five runs and chased UNO starter Ashley Lynch from the game. Jessica Jones led-off with a single to left, then in a strange turn of events, Horky brought in Alycia Fivecoats to pinch-hit for Ali Scruggs. After Fivecoats picked up two strikes, Horky sent Scruggs back to the plate. The gamble paid off when Scruggs singled to left.
Amanda "Mannie" DeCastro drove in the first run of the game with a double to center field. It was the only extra-base hit of the game.
After an error led to the Gorillas' second run, Beth Haley was called in to pitch for the Mavs, but she was unable to stop the bleeding. On what was perhaps the most exciting play of the game, DeCastro scored on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Maria Bernal.
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