March 13, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville softball heads into the second day of the Arkansas Invitational with a 1-1 record after defeating Louisiana Tech 7-5 and falling to Southeast Missouri 7-6.

The Cougars, 12-11, play host Arkansas in their first game Sunday at 11 a.m. The four-team tournament concludes with a bracket game at 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. depending on the outcome of Sunday's earlier games.

"There's a lot of parity in this tournament among the four teams," said SIUE Coach Sandy Montgomery.

SIUE fell behind 3-0 in the first game when Louisiana Tech scored single tallies in the second, third and fifth innings.

"We didn't play with a lot of intensity early," said Montgomery.

The Cougars came back, however, for four runs in the top of the sixth inning. Megan Murphy and Chaleen Rumpf ripped back-to-back two-run singles to put SIUE ahead 4-3.

Louisiana Tech, 10-7, regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Sarah Offutt delivered a two-run single.

SIUE made the comeback stick in the top of the seventh with three more runs. Laurie Siebert, Taylor Tooley and Samantha Stanicek put together a string a RBI hits for the Cougars.

SIUE's Erika Taylor struck out six for her 11th victory of the season.

The momentum carried through to game two as SIUE took a 4-0 lead after two innings.

"We it all through the lineup," Montgomery said. "We just didn't get the job done."

SEMO, 6-8, tied the game in the fourth with a four-run rally. Renee Kurtz's bases-loaded double sparked the rally.

SIUE regained the lead in the sixth when Lindsey Barron's single drove home Taylor and Murphy.

The Redhawks made a final push in the seventh. Three straight RBI singles off SIUE starter Ali Downing gave SEMO the win.

"We had the game and then let it get away," said Montgomery.

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