Softball Falls To Eastern Kentucky, 9-7

Erica Johnson

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Eastern Ky. (5-2)	3	0	0	2	0	2	2	9	10	1
Campbell (6-7)	1	6	0	0	0	0	0	7	9	6
@ Woodstock, Ga. | Twin Creeks Softball

Pitching
Win: PITTSENBARGER, L. (2-1) - Eastern Ky.
Loss: Brittany Arnn (3-3) - Campbell

Eastern Ky. Batting
2B: REISINGER, Carissa; TACKETT, Katie
3B: none
HR: WOOD, Larkyn

Campbell Batting
2B: Stephanie Jones; Taylor McGee
3B: none
HR: Raven Lee; Kailey Farmer

full stats

WOODSTOCK, Ga.  – Campbell (6-7) dropped its opening game of the second day of the Phyllis Rafter Memorial to Eastern Kentucky (5-2) by a 9-7 score at Woodstock, Ga. at the Twins Creeks Softball Complex on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Camels had a 7-3 lead after two innings, but could not hold on in the loss.

Junior Brittany Arnn (3-3) took the loss for Campbell against EKU and allowed nine runs (five earned) in her 6.1 innings worked with five strikeouts. Her defense committed six errors behind her and she also walked five in the loss. The win was earned by Leanna Pittsenbarger (2-1), who came in relief to throw four scoreless innings.

Eastern Kentucky scored first with three in the top of the first inning. Diane Gallagher reached on a lead-off single. Carissa Reisinger then bunt for a hit. On the play the ball was thrown away allowing Gallagher to take third. She came home to score on the same play when she noticed the home plate was momentarily uncovered. Reisinger took second as the trail runner on the play. A sacrifice bunt moved Reisinger over and she scored on Katie Tackett's double to left field. After a strikeout for the second out, Tackett moved to third on a throwing error and scored the team's third run on Lauren Mitchell's single.

CU got one of the runs back in the bottom of the frame. Junior Sarah Forgacs started the inning with a walk. She scored all the way from first on freshman Stephanie Jones' RBI double.

The Campbell offense exploded for six runs in the second inning. Freshman Erica Johnson started the frame with a walk. She moved to second on sophomore Shaela Churchill's sacrifice bunt. Freshman Kailey Farmer then unloaded for her second home run of the season to tie the game. Fellow freshman Kerstine Womack followed with an infield single. A ground out moved her to second. Freshman Ericka Nesbitt walked and then stole second as Womack swiped third. Both Womack and Nesbitt scored on Jones' two-RBI single. Raven Lee made it six-run inning with her two-run home run. The home run was her third of the season.

EKU kept chipping away and scored two in the fourth inning. Mitchell drew a lead-off walk. A ground out moved her to second and she then she took third on a two-out error that allowed Gallagher to reach. Gallagher then stole second. Mitchell scored a run as the throw went into center field on the stolen base. Reisinger followed with a double to plate Gallagher.

The Colonels tied the game up with two runs in the sixth aided by a few CU miscues. Christina Datko started the frame with a lead-off single just in front of the plate. Gallagher followed with a single to left. Raquel Howes drove in Datko with her infield single. Gallagher scored the tying run off a fielder's choice as the ball was thrown away by CU.

EKU would untie the game for good with two runs off the Larkyn Wood's home run with Mitchell on base in the top of the seventh. A lead-off walk put Mitchell on base to start the inning.

The Camels attempted to rally in the bottom of the frame. Nesbitt reached on an infield single. After a pair of deep fly outs, senior Taylor McGee doubled to bring the potential winning-run to the plate. Pittsenbarger stood strong though and induced a pop out to end the game.

The Camels play an afternoon game against Georgia State at 3:30 p.m.