April 9, 2002
Softball Team Heads Back to Missouri Western for MIAA Doubleheader
The Doubleheader: Truman State University Bulldogs (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/NCAA Division II) at Missouri Western State College Lady Griffons (MIAA/NCAA DII)
Date: April 10, 2002
Time: 5 pm
Location: St. Joseph, Mo.
No. 16 Truman (20-7 overall, 6-0 MIAA): The Truman softball team began conference action last week by going 6-0 with doubleheader wins over Southwest Baptist, Pittsburg State and defending MIAA champion Missouri Southern. The Bulldogs continue MIAA action tomorrow at Missouri Western with a doubleheader. The 'Dogs beat MWSC 2-1 on March 23 in the Lady Griffon's tournament.
The Bulldogs were ranked among the North Central region's top 10 teams last week, according to the NCAA Division II softball committee's bi-weekly ratings that determine postseason participants. The rankings are alphabetical this week with the next poll scheduled to be released on April 17 (see page 2 for complete list of teams).
Six teams are chosen from each of the eight regions for a total of 48 teams in the postseason tournament. MSSC, Northwest Missouri and Washburn are the other MIAA schools listed among the region's top 10.
Bulldogs Among NCAA Leaders: Sophomore shortstop Elizabeth Economon'(St. Louis/Notre Dame) was ranked seventh in the nation with a .514 batting average, through games of March 31, but has improved to .527 after six games last week. She was also 26th in home runs (0.24 pg) but has hit two more round-trippers since. Economon was sixth in RBIs (1.19 pg)
'Dogs among MIAA Leaders: Truman is currently ranked third in the MIAA in batting (.304) and is second in pitching with a team ERA of 1.51. The Bulldogs are also rated fourth in scoring (4.63 rpg) and eighth in fielding (.945).
Economon leads the MIAA in slugging percentage (.892), home runs (.259 pg) and RBIs (1.15 pg), and is second in batting (.527), on base percentage (.563) and runs scored (1.04 pg). She is also fifth in triples (.111 pg).
Sophomore center fielder Katy Mueller (Affton, Mo./Cor Jesu) is 13th in batting average (.354) and fourth in doubles (.296 pg).
Junior second baseman Shelby Ortwerth (Hannibal, Mo.) is tied for 10th in RBIs (.67 pg) and is second among MIAA stolen base leaders with .37 a game (10-of-11).
Sophomore Britni Buford (Kahoka, Mo./Clark County) is fifth in the league in victories (.889, 8-1), third in ERA (0.98) and third in strikeouts per seven innings (6.77).
Senior pitcher Jennifer Hulsopple (Peculiar, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar) is tied for sixth in victories (.636, 7-4), eighth in ERA (1.27) and second in strikeouts per seven innings (6.93).
Sophomore Breanna Wonderly (Conception, Mo./Jefferson) is fourth in strikeouts per seven innings (6.55).
The Series with MIssouri Western State College: Truman holds a 20-18 edge in the all-time series with the Lady Griffons. The Bulldogs have taken doubleheaders from MWSC the last three seasons, as well as the meeting earlier this year in St. Joseph. The last win for Missouri Western came on April 24, 1998, in the MIAA tournament, 10-9.
About Missouri Western (11-17 overall, 0-2 MIAA): The Lady Griffons host Central Missouri today.
On April 2, MWSC opened MIAA play and dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Emporia State (Kan.), 4-2 and 11-10.
The Lady Griffons won their first three games at the Augustana (S.D.) Tournament last weekend, but lost the final two contests to St. Cloud State (Minn.) and the host. Tourney wins came over South Dakota State 7-2, South Dakota 8-2 and North Dakota, 12-9. The win over SDSU in the tournament opener snapped a 10-game losing streak that began with Missouri Western's 2-1 loss to Truman on Mar. 23 at the MWSC Tournament.
Trina Denison is seventh among MIAA leaders in batting average (.385) and is 10th in slugging percentage (.562) and on base percentage (.433). She leads the league in doubles (.464 pg) and is ninth in RBIs (.68 pg).
Kelly Ulrich is ninth in slugging percentage (.563) and leads the MIAA in triples (.179 pg), while Valerie Curtis is sixth in triples (.107 pg) and Tearany Carrell is tied for ninth in home runs (.107 pg).
Vs. PSU last week: In game one of the Pittsburg doubleheader, it took just six innings for a decision to be rendered as the 'Dogs blanked the Gorillas 8-0. Economon was 3-for-4, while sophomore first baseman Leann Paul (Olathe, Kan./North) was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, a double and a home run, her first four-bagger of the year.
Mueller and sophomore outfielder Krystl Brown (Olathe, Kan./North) each had two hits. Brown hit her first career home run in that game as well, and would send another ball over the fence in the second PSU game.
Hulsopple garnered the win as well as the 31st shutout of her career, a Truman record she held before the year began. She struck out seven batters, allowed no walks and three hits.
In game two, Truman took a 3-0 lead by the third inning. PSU scored both its runs in the top of the fourth, while the Bulldogs added runs in the fifth and sixth innings on a home run by Brown and an RBI single by freshman catcher Holly Kessler (Blue Springs, Mo.), respectively.
Economon also hit a home run in that game, and extended her current hitting streak to 17 games.
Wonderly pitched all seven innings for the win, striking out six batters, walking one and giving up five hits.
Vs. MSSC last Saturday: The Bulldogs scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning when freshman catcher Courtney Strubel (Olathe, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas) smacked a two-out double.
The Lady Lions evened the score in the fifth inning, but gave up two runs on an error in the bottom of the sixth. Strubel scored one of those runs after reaching with another double. She led the team with a 3-for-3 performance from the plate, while Economon and Kessler also had hits.
Buford got the win after allowing just two hits and no earned runs in seven innings of work.
In game two, Strubel got the 'Dogs on the board again with an RBI double in the first inning, and Mueller scored on an RBI single by Economon in the third after reaching base with her eighth double of the season.
Paul led the team, going 3-for-3 and had an RBI single in the fifth inning.
Hulsopple allowed just two hits in seven innings on the mound and registered the 32nd shutout of her career.
Economon left her current hitting streak standing at 19 games.
Earlier This year Vs. Missouri Western: Sophomore Britni Buford (Kahoka, Mo./Clark County) drove in both of Truman's runs in the first-inning with a base hit. The Lady Griffon defense held the 'Dogs scoreless for the rest of the game while scoring their only run off of a Bulldog error in the bottom of the sixth.
Economon and Ortwerth both went 2-for-4. Buford also claimed the win on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings of work.