Northeastern State sweeps two from Aggies

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LAWTON, Okla. (March 15) - Desimated by injuries and struggling at the plate, the Cameron Softball team dropped both ends of a double-header to Lone Star Conference North Division rival Northeastern State on Monday.

Coach Gladys Crawford's Aggies fell by scores of 2-0 and 3-2, slipping to 6-15 on the season, including 1-5 in conference play. The Aggies will attempt to exact revenge on Tuesday, when the teams continue their four-game series at Cameron Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

With junior Lindsay Williams out indefinitely with injury and sophomore Jessica Hutton out of uniform due to illness, Cameron's pitching duties on Monday fell squarely on Kelly Holden. The Aurora, Colo., junior pitched all 14 innings on Monday against Northeastern and is expected to pitch both games of Tuesday's series finale. Holden kept Cameron within striking distance all day, allowing just five earned runs while posting seven strikeouts against three walks. 

Cameron struggled at the plate throughout both contests, however, managing just three hits on the afternoon. NSU's Jessica Gouskos handcuffed the Aggies in Game 1, tossing a complete-game one-hit gem that featured seven strikouts and no walks. Gouskos took a perfect game into the fifth inning before Cameron produced its only base-runner of the game on a two-out single up the middle by Nicole Fleming.

The Lady Reds took the early lead with a run in the first on an RBI double by Amanda Brown and tacked on an insurance run on an RBI single by Kristy Seachris in the top of the seventh.

Holden scattered seven hits and had three strikeouts in the game, walking none.

Monday's nightcap appeared to be headed for similar results as Cameron failed to produce a base-runner in each of the first three innings against NSU starter Melinda Madsen. But the Aggies loaded the bases on a single by Kelsey Wheeler followed by a Michelle Wanner double and Ryan Schneberger's hit-by-pitch. Fleming then drew an RBI walk and Wanner scored on a sacrifice fly by Lindsey Remington, taking a 2-1 lead.

NSU answered back, tying the score in the top of the fifth on a solo homer by Brown. With the score still tied at 2-2, Seachris opened the top of the seventh inning with a line drive homer over the left field fence to put the Lady Reds back in front.

Fleming walked again to start the bottom of the seventh for Cameron, forcing NSU head coach Dee Gerlach into a pitching change. But Lacie O'Dell came on to earn her first save of the season, recording outs against all three batters she faced to end the game.

Holden (1-8) took the loss, allowing three earned runs and nine hits in the game. She struck out four and walked three.