Published: April 24, 2008 11:38 pm         

Cougars feast on Rams’ pitching

Mountain State tuned up for today’s games with conference foe Midway College by blasting Bluefield College 12-2 in five innings Thursday in the opening game of a doubleheader at Warren Williams Stadium in Beckley.

All nine of the Cougars’ hitters got a hit and all but one scored in the contest as MSU pounded out 16 hits off Rams’ pitcher Allison Queenberry.

“We let them swing a little bit,” MSU coach Tim Berry said. “Lauren Howell and Anna Kincaid pushed them around the bases like they’re supposed to. Everybody did what they were supposed to do.”

Mountain State (21-14) got off to a shaky start, though. Fifth-year senior Sarah Rapp walked lead-off batter Vicky Martin, who was thrown out attempting to steal second, and served up a double to Courtney Upham. Rapp quickly recovered by striking out Lyndsey Barton and settled into a groove for the rest of the contest.

Rapp allowed only three hits and four walks while striking out six.

“Sarah knows herself better than anybody,” Berry said. “When she is out there on the rubber and struggles a little bit, she knows what she has to do to get herself back in her groove and in a rhythm. She shut them down pretty well.”

The Cougars’ offense took over from there, scoring three runs in the first and second innings, one in the third and five in the fourth.

Amber Lilly got things going in the first inning by slapping a single to right field. Jennifer Sloan followed with a bunt single before Howell advanced them both with a sacrifice bunt. Kincaid cleared the bases with a double down the left field line and then raced in to score on a fielding error by the Rams’ right fielder.

Howell doubled in Brittany Lantz and Sloan to start the scoring in the second inning. Kincaid followed with a single to left to score Howell and MSU went up 6-0.

In all, Kincaid accounted for two runs and four RBIs with a pair of doubles as the sophomore third baseman from Hebron, Ohio, went 3-for-3 at the plate.

“Give Mountain State a lot of credit,” Rams coach Lauren Shepard said. “They really did hit our holes. They’re a good, slapping ball team and they just found the right spots to hit it in.”

Bluefield got on the scoreboard in the top of the third. Upham drew a walk and then raced home when sophomore Felicia Marmo tripled to right field.

“Felicia and Courtney Upham had some big hits,” Shepard said. “They’re upperclassmen, so I couldn’t expect any less out of them. Felicia has been hitting the ball really well lately and Courtney has good ball direction. She can place the ball.”

The Cougars put the game away in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs on six hits and two walks. Kincaid, Kaylie Layman and Rapp had consecutive doubles to spark the onslaught.

MSU begins a two-day, four-game series with KIAC foe Midway at 5 p.m. today. They will continue with a Saturday doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m.

— E-mail:

rjett@register-herald.com



MSU 12, Bluefield College 2

BC: 001 01 — 2 3 1

MSU: 331 5x — 12 16 1

BC: Allison Queenberry and Courtney Upham, MSU: Sarah Rapp and Jennifer Sloan. WP — Rapp. LP — Queenberry. Hitting — BC: Upham 1-2 (2b, run), Felicia Marmo 1-3 (3b, rbi), Lyndsey Barton (run), Caitlin Ball 1-2, MSU: Anna Kincaid 3-3 (2 2b, 4rbi, 2 runs), Brittany Lantz 3-3 (rbi, run), Lauren Howell 1-2 (2b, 2rbi, 2 runs), Sloan 2-3 (rbi, 2 runs), Amber Lilly 2-4 (run), Kaylie Layman (2b, rbi, run), Rapp 2-3 (2b, rbi, 2 runs), Alex Albright (1-3 (rbi, run), Jen Baker 1-2.

Records: BC: 4-28; MSU: 21-14.