May 13, 2007

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Top-seeded and No. 5-ranked Southern Illinois Edwardsville scored early and often Sunday in a 10-1 five-inning rout of No. 4 seed Grand Valley State in the Division II Great Lakes Regional championship game.

The Cougars (45-8), who earned a second consecutive trip to the national quarterfinals with the win, tallied six runs in the top of the first inning. Kaeleigh Rousey's two-run double gave SIUE a 2-0 lead, Mallory Ruggles followed with a two-run single, and Nicole Beecher and Jodie Ohlau contributed RBI singles to put the Great Lakes Valley Conference champions comfortably in front.

SIUE made it 7-0 in the second when Courtney Mall tripled and scored on Libby Lenart's squeeze bunt.

Grand Valley State (36-18), the No. 4 seed, plated its only run in the fourth on a home run by Elizabeth Smith. That was one of only three hits allowed by winning pitcher and tournament Most Outstanding Player Kaitlin Colosimo (26-3), who struck out six and walked one.

In the SIUE fifth, Emily Lenart and Lauren Zembruski registered two-out singles ahead of Ohlau's three-run blast over the left-field wall. Colosimo retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to punch the Cougars' ticket to Akron.

Rousey, Beecher and Emily Lenart joined Ohlau with two hits apiece. Crista Buresh had a double for Grand Valley State.