|
HOME RUN DERBY
Balls were flying out of EastSide Centre on Friday, as 22 home runs left the year in the first eight games of the GLVC Softball Championship.
Here is a breakdown of all the home runs from Friday's action:
| GM |
Player, Team |
Inn. |
Field |
| 1 |
DeMotte, UINDY |
4 |
A |
| 1 |
Russell, UINDY |
5 |
A |
| 2 |
Steinmetz, NKU |
1 |
B |
| 2 |
Schwaeble, NKU |
1 |
B |
| 2 |
Carson, NKU |
1 |
B |
| 2 |
Farris, NKU |
4 |
B |
| 2 |
Weaver, SJC |
4 |
B |
| 3 |
Powers, BU |
3 |
A |
| 3 |
Carroll, UIS |
7 |
A |
| 4 |
Hanford, LEWIS |
3 |
B |
| 4 |
Toalson, DU |
4 |
B |
| 4 |
Hayden, DU |
4 |
B |
| 4 |
Vucsko, LEWIS |
5 |
B |
| 5 |
Topps, QU |
4 |
A |
| 6 |
Powers, BU |
2 |
B |
| 6 |
Taylor, DU |
2 |
B |
| 6 |
Romph, DU |
2 |
B |
| 6 |
Summe, BU |
4 |
B |
| 6 |
Murdoch, BU |
7 |
B |
| 7 |
Williamson, UINDY |
5 |
A |
| 8 |
Vucsko, LEWIS |
1 |
B |
| 8 |
Carroll, UIS |
7 |
B |
|
2012 GLVC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE
FRIDAY, APRIL 27
We are underway in the opening games of the 2012 GLVC Softball Championship.
GAME 1: On Field A, top-seed Indianapolis faces No. 8 seed Quincy. Live stats can be found here. UPDATE: UIndy wins 16-1 in five innings.
GAME 2: On Field B, No. 4 Saint Joseph's is battling No. 5 Northern Kentucky. Live stats for that game can be found here. UPDATE: NKU wins 12-2 in five innings.
Conditions are overcast, windy, and cool here at EastSide Centre. Temperature is holding at 46 degrees, but expected to rise into the upper 50s by midday. Winds are from the east, 15 to 20 mph. For both fields, that means the wind is blowing in and cross from left to right.
NORSE STORMS OUT OF THE GATE...AND OVER THE FENCE: Northern Kentucky has taken advantage of a steady breeze blowing out toward right field on Field A, going yard three times in the top of the first inning. Michelle Carson hit a grand slam, while Emily Schwaeble had a two-run homer and Kaylin Steinmetz posted a solo shot.
UINDY OFF TO THE RACES: Indianapolis has also recorded an impressive first inning, scoring seven runs on four hits. Alexa Alfaro netted a double that brought home two UIndy runners.
MAKING QUICK WORK: Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky havce advanced in the tournament following decisive 5-inning victories in the opening round. The top-seeded Greyhounds dropped No. 8 Quincy 16-1, while the fifth-seeded Norse topped No. 4 Saint Joseph's by a score of 12-2.
GAME 3: No. 2 Illinois Springfield vs. No. 7 Bellarmine - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: UIS wins 10-6.
PRAIRIE STARS USE DRAMATICS IN VICTORY: Second-seeded Illinois Springfield rallied to defeat Bellarmine 10-6 in the teams' opening-round game at the GLVC Championship. Trailing 6-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Prairie Stars cut the deficit in half, 6-3, and then mounted their rally in the bottom of the seventh. UIS tied the game at 6-6, and then after an intentional walk of Rachel Wood, Brooke Carroll launched a two-out, game-winning walk-off grand slam for the 10-6 victory.
GAME 4: No. 3 Drury vs. No. 6 Lewis - LIVE STATS UPDATE: LEWIS wins 4-3.
Sixth-seeded Lewis held on late to upset No. 3 Drury 4-3 to advance to meet Illinois Springfield in a 4 p.m. matchup. The Flyers scored three runs in the third inning, but then allowed the game to be tied in the fourth. Lewis answered in the fifth with the eventual game-winner. The Flyers were led by shortstop Michelle Vucsko, who went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Ali Brems was credited with the win, while Karissa Abel posted the save.
GAME 5: No. 8 Quincy vs. No. 4 Saint Joseph's - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: Quincy wins 5-4. Saint Joseph's eliminated.
GAME 6: No. 7 Bellarmine vs. No. 3 Drury - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: Bellarmine wins 7-4. Drury eliminated.
GAME 7: No. 1 Indianapolis vs. No. 5 Northern Kentucky - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: Indianapolis wins in five innings, 8-0.
GAME 8: No. 2 Illinois Springfield vs. No. 6 Lewis - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: Lewis wins 5-3.
UPDATED BRACKET: Click here for the updated 2012 GLVC Championship Bracket.
DAY ONE IN THE BOOKS: No. 1 seed Indianapolis and No. 6 Lewis captured two wins Friday at the 2012 GLVC Softball Championship and will now face each other Saturday at 1 p.m. at EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill. In the consolation bracket, No. 2 Illinois Springfield will battle No. 8 Quincy, while No. 5 Northern Kentucky meets No. 7 Bellarmine. First pitch for both games will be at 11 a.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 28
Day two of the 2012 GLVC Softball Championship is underway with two games in the consolation bracket beginning at 11 a.m. No. 2 Illinois Springfield and No. 8 Quincy are battling on Field A, while No. 5 Northern Kentucky is facing No. 7 Bellarmine on Field B.
The weather today is similar to yesterday's conditions... cool and windy with overcast skies and a chance of rain. The winds are gusting to 20 miles per hour at EastSide Centre, which means batters Field A should be playing into the wind, while Field B pitchers will once again be faced with the tough task of keeping the ball in the yard. Fifteen of the 22 home runs hit yesterday came on Field B, primarily due to the assistance of a left-to-right wind that was carrying several standard fly balls over the fence. The Northern Kentucky/Bellarmine contest will be the final game played on Field B this year as all other games will move to the primary Field A.
No. 1 Indianapolis and No. 6 Lewis will meet in the top-half of the bracket at 1 p.m. on Field A.
GAME 9: No. 2 Illinois Springfield vs. No. 8 Quincy - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: UIS wins 6-5.
GAME 10: No 5 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 7 Bellarmine - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: NKU wins 7-5.
THE LAUNCHING PAD: That has been the nickname to the homer-friendly Field A this weekend at the EastSide Centre. And in Game 10, they are at it again on Field B, as five home runs have been posted in the Northern Kentucky/Bellarmine contest. The Knights' Erin Sireno went yard in the second inning only to be followed by teammate Megan Murdoch in the third. Bellarmine took a 5-0 advantage into the bottom of the fourth, but NKU reached the fences three times in the bottom half of the inning,. Kaylin Steinmetz, Natalie Papi, and Katelyn Roy combined for three homers to tie the gave at 5-5. Mandi McQueen homered to left field in the sixth to give the Norse their first lead of the game, 6-5. NKU has now scored all six runs off of four home runs, which brings their school-record total to 52 homers on the year.
GAME 11: No. 1 Indianapolis vs. No. 6 Lewis - 1:15 p.m. - LIVE STATS. UPDATE: UINDY wins 5-2. The Greyhounds advance to their first GLVC Softball Championship final since 1990, which was their inaugural trip against Ashland.
GAME 12: No. 2 Illinois Springfield held off late-inning dramatics by No. 5 Northern Kentucky Saturday to advance in the consolation bracket with a 12-9 victory. Seven home runs were recorded in the contest, with the Norse clearing the fence five times. The home run total at the GLVC Softball Championship remains remarkable, especially considering the remaining games have been moved to primary Field A.
HOME RUN DERBY CONTINUES: After 22 home runs in six games yesterday, the ball has continued to fly out of the EastSide Centre complex on Saturday. Twenty more homers have left the yard today, bringing the 2012 GLVC Softball Championship total to 42.
SETTING THE SCENE: No. 1 seed and fourth-ranked Indianapolis will face No. 2 seed Illinois Springfield for the 2012 GLVC Softball Championship Sunday at EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill. First pitch is scheduled for noon CT, with a rematch to follow at 2 p.m., should UIS capture the first game.
UIndy returns to the GLVC Championship final for the first time since 1990, when the Greyhounds fell in the title game to Ashland. Indianapolis is a school-best 48-7 on the season and earned the tournament’s top seed by way of a 28-6 record in conference play, which gave the team the outright GLVC East Division title.
Illinois Springfield shared the GLVC West Division crown after tying with Drury at 22-12 in league action. The Prairie Stars are 34-19 on the year, and have fought their way through the consolation bracket to earn their first trip in the GLVC Championship final.
UIS posted three wins on Saturday, including a 6-5 win over No. 8 Quincy, a 12-9 victory over No. 5 Northern Kentucky, and a 9-8 decision over No. 6 Lewis in the nightcap. All three games called for Illinois Springfield to hold off a late-inning rally by its opponent.
UIS will be looking for a rally of its own Sunday as the two teams met in interconference play back on March 3. UIndy swept the series by a combined 31-10 margin, including a five-inning 8-0 shutout and a 23-10 blowout win.
Speaking of blowout, the wind has been the storyline of the event, constantly taking routine fly balls and blowing them out of both fields used for tournament action at EastSide Centre. In fact, a record 42 home runs have been hit over a 13-game span for a mind-blowing average of 3.2 homers per game.
SUNDAY, APRIL 29
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME MOVED UP ONE HOUR: Due to the threat of weather moving into the East Peoria area, the start time for the 2012 GLVC Softball Championship final has been moved from noon to 11 a.m. CT.
2012 GLVC CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: No. 1 Indianapolis vs. No. 2 Illinois Springfield - LIVE STATS
HOME RUN DERBY CONTINUES: Credit the UIndy Greyhounds for following the mysterious script of this 2012 GLVC Championship... In the top of the second inning, the Greyhounds have gone yard twice, with homers from Samantha Krcelich and Cori Eckerle. UIndy leads 3-0.
MAKING QUICK WORK TO FIRST TITLE: Top-seed Indianapolis needed only five innings to earn its first-ever GLVC Softball Championship Sunday, earning an 8-0 victory over No. 2 Illinois Springfield. Samantha Krcelich, who paced UIndy with a 2-for-3, 4-RBI effort, homered with teammate Cori Eckerle to lead the Greyhounds offensively. In the circle, GLVC Pitcher of the Year Jennifer DeMotte allowed just one hit while striking out nine Prairie Stars in the win. With the victory, UIndy earns the GLVC's automatic bid to the NCAA DII Midwest Region Tournament. Box | UINDY Recap | UIS Recap
CLOSING THE BOOKS ON 2012...AND 45 HOMERS!: The GLVC's final recap of the 2012 GLVC Softball Championship.