Published: April 29, 2008 03:07 pm         

MSU pitcher sets record

MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State sophomore pitcher Alex Gjevre struck out five, lowered her Ohio Valley Conference best ERA to 0.82, and set the MSU single season wins mark with her 15th victory Sunday as the Eagles shut out visiting Eastern Illinois 4-0. MSU moved to 30-14 overall and 13-9 in the OVC, while EIU fell to 19-22 and 11-7 in the league.

Gjevre, who is now 15-5 in the circle this season, allowed just two hitson Sunday and took a one-hitter into the seventh inning. Of her 100 total pitches, more than two-thirds went for strikes. After getting a nine-inning no-decision on Saturday, Gjevre recorded 16 innings pitched against the Panthers and allowed just one run. As a freshman last season, she had tied the MSU single season mark for wins with 14, and she now has 29 career wins as an Eagle in less than two full seasons - a mark that ranks fourth on the MSU career chart.

But, on Sunday it wasn't just the pitching that came through. After only getting nine hits and two runs in 17 innings Saturday, the Eagles shot out of the starting gate early today, bolting to a 3-0 lead after two innings. MSU also collected nine hits, including two each from junior Bri Jones and senior Allie Honkofsky.

The Eagles pounced on EIU starter Kathleen Jacoby with one run in the first on two hits. Jacoby, who had tossed all 10 innings in game one Saturday and got the win, was lifted in the second after only one total inning of work and took the loss to fall to 8-9. Jones led off the first with a double off the wall in center field and moved to third on Courtney Seiler's sacrifice bunt. She came home on a wild pitch.

In the second, Bianca Cardenas ripped a double to left center before EIU brought in Karyn Mackie to pitch. Kari Quinn laid down a sac bunt, and pinch runner Heather Widner moved to third. After a strikeout, Honkofsky laced a line drive single to right field that scored Widner. Ashley Archer then reached base on an infield single, and Honkofsky advanced to third when the throw from Mackie to first base got away into shallow right field. Jones picked up an RBI with a shot up the middle to score Honkofsky.

The Eagles added their fourth run of the game in the fifth inning. Seiler singled to lead off the frame and moved to second on another sac bunt. A passed ball allowed her to scoot to third base, and two batters later, Quinn ripped a single into right field to score Seiler.

Denee Menzione and Lauren Brackett notched EIU's two hits.

The Eagles will wrap up the regular season next weekend with a three-game series at Tennessee State. Saturday's  twi-night doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. EDT with Sunday's series finale set for a 2 p.m. EDT first pitch.