Birk's slide sends Otahkians past EIU in 11 innings

With one deft slide to avoid what seemed like a sure tag, Jamie Birk ended a marathon softball game that looked like it might never end.

Birk, a junior, scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning Wednesday as Southeast Missouri State University defeated Eastern Illinois 6-5 in front of nearly 200 fans at the Southeast Softball Complex.

The Otahkians improved to 12-23 overall and 8-6 in Ohio Valley Conference play and moved into a third-place tie in the eight-team league. The Panthers fell to 9-29 and 4-10.

With the based loaded and two outs, Kelly Birk --Jamie's sister -- faced a two-strike count when a pitch from Kristen Becker sailed over the head of catcher Kristin Darnell.

As Jamie Birk broke for the plate, Darnell quickly retrieved the ball and fired to Becker covering. The throw got to Becker in plenty of time, but Birk slid around the attempted tag and got a piece of the plate to end the contest.

"That's my favorite thing to do, slide by like that," Birk said, smiling. "She got the ball first, but I was able to get around her and touch the plate."

Thus ended a 3 hour, 31 minute game that featured seven errors by the Otahkians.

"It was a wild game," Southeast coach Lana Richmond said. "Right now we need anything, so it's good to pull out the win. But this was not a pretty performance."

Offensive sparks

Still, the Otahkians had plenty of bright spots. They banged out 10 hits against the tireless Becker, who pitched the entire game for EIU. Freshman Kate Groden had three hits, while senior Brooke Nett and sophomore Kelly Birk, Southeast's leading hitter at .325 entering the game, added two each.

Nett, a four-year starter having a strong final season for the Otahkians, drove in three runs. She entered the contest batting .312 and ranked third in the OVC in on-base percentage.

"Brooke has been very consistent for us," Richmond said. "She's having a very good senior season."

Starter Jessica Hunter, a junior, gave the Otahkians solid work before wearing down late. In 6 1/3 innings, she allowed nine hits and five runs (four earned).

But the pitching star for the Otahkians was freshman Melissa Van Velkinburgh, who earned the victory with 4 2/3 innings of nearly flawless relief. She struck out three and walked one while allowing no runs and no hits.

"Melissa was a bright spot," Richmond said.

Becker, in addition to her pitching, had three hits. Kristin Lovering homered for the Panthers.

Coming from behind

Trailing 5-2 entering their final regulation at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Otahkians rallied for three runs. J. Birk led off with a single, senior Alicia Loucks doubled, Groden drove in a run with a double and Nett delivered a two-run double to tie the contest.

When things remained tied through nine innings, each team began ensuing at-bats with a runner at second base, which is an NCAA rule designed to prevent unusually long games.

Both teams had chances until the bottom of the 11th, when the Otahkians actually had a runner at third with nobody out but it looked like Becker might escape the jam when they had the bases loaded with two outs. Then the wild pitch and Birk's slide ended things.

"We needed this one," Birk said. "It was a very good win."

The Otahkians host second-place Tennessee-Martin Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

mmishow@semissourian.com

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