By: Luke Rinne, Assistant Sports Information Director
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Box Score 2
(Rolla, Mo.) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners played the longest home game in school history on Saturday. Thankfully for them it ended on a positive note as S&T scored three times in the bottom of the 17th to rally past Quincy 4-3 and complete the sweep. The Lady Miners won the opener 3-0.
The game was also the second longest game in school history behind only the 18-inning game against Central Missouri back in May of 2004 at the MIAA Tournament in Shawnee, Kan. It was also the longest game between two GLVC schools and the second longest game in league history behind Southern Indiana's 19 inning game against Columbus State in 1999.
The previous longest home game in school history came back in 1995 which was 13 inning contest against Southwest Baptist.
Quincy (20-13, 9-7 GLVC) struck first in game two. With two away Erin Gregory singled up the middle and moved to second on a walk to Ashleigh Roscetti. Whitney Kroeger came on to run for Gregory and scored on Carla Passini's single off the glove of Maggie Schroeder (Bonner Springs, Kan./Basehor-Linwood). The Hawks had a chance to extend their lead as Monica Gray singled but Roscetti was thrown out third by Lauren Briggs (LaMonte, Mo./Knob Noster) after rounding the bag too far.
S&T (11-21, 6-8 GLVC) would tie it in the third. With one out Jennifer Sardigal (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) worked a four pitch walked and moved to second on Kassi Deibert (Highland, Ill./Highland)'s single through the left side. Kristen Drage (Morganfield, Ky./Union County ) then drove a single through the left side scoring Sardigal. For Drage it was her 112th career RBI breaking the mark of 111 set by Emily Tucker (2005-09).
It would remain that way until the 17th though both sides had their opportunities.
In the 17th Quincy got a single and a walk with one out putting runners at first and second. Tiffany Brakeville doubled to left just over the outstretched glove of Briggs to make it 2-1. With runners at second and third Nicole Richards hit a sacrifice fly to left to make it 3-1.
In the bottom of the inning Kate Runyan (Crown Point, Ind./Boone Grove) led things off hitting a 0-2 pitch down the right field line for a double. She moved to third on Schroeder's single to left. Adrienne Kruse (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) grounded into a force play at second for the first out. Briggs drove home Runyan with a sac fly to left making it 3-2. The throw back into the infield got away allowing Kruse to advance to second.
Jamie Hatlan (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit ) tied the game hitting a sharp grounder to second that take a big hop and went over the second baseman's shoulder into right center to tie the game. Hatlan then stole second and scored the game winner on Sardigal's smash off the third baseman's glove which landed in left field and there was no play at the plate.
Taylor Keal (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) came on in the fifth to relieve Amber Duncan (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) and pitched the final 13 innings. She allowed two runs on eight hits while striking out seven and walking seven to even her record at 9-9. Duncan threw the first four innings allowing a run on five hits with three punch outs against two walks.
S&T had 10 hits in the contest led by Deibert and Drage with two each.
Torie Bunzell pitched 16 innings in the second game and struck out a career-high 23 batters. She became only the fourth pitcher in league history to have 20 or more strikeouts in a game and tied the league and Division II record with her performance. She shares the Division II record with six other players including S&T's Christy Deken. Bunzell allowed three runs on eight hits and issued three walks and had two hit batters. Lauren Francis came on in relief after the first two reached in the 17th and allowed a run on two hits to fall to 4-4.
The Hawks had 13 hits led by Gray with five and Gregory with four.
In the first game on Saturday Keal got into an early hole allowing two base runners in the opening frame but got a groundout to short to end the inning. From that point she set the Quincy hitters down in order in each of the next four innings. At one point she retired 15 hitters until a two out single in the sixth by Cristina Hughes.
The game was scoreless until the third when Schroeder led off the inning with a solo home run to left center.
It remained that way until the fifth. Kaylea Smith (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) started the inning off with a single back up the middle. Cassie Rizzo (Webster Groves, Mo./Webster Groves) came on to pinch run for her and moved to second on a sac bunt by Runyan. Schroeder made it 3-0 with her second home run of the day hitting a two-run blast to nearly the same spot in left center as her first one.
That would be all the run support Keal needed as she worked around a two out error in the seventh securing her two-hit shutout. It was her fourth shutout of the season. She threw a complete game striking out three while walking one.
S&T had three hits in the contest led by Schroeder's two round trippers.
The Lady Miners are back in action again tomorrow afternoon when they host Illinois-Springfield in a GLVC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
