Saturday's Softball Results
Courtesy of MAC Athletics Communications
Saturday's Softball Results
Akron 5, Rhode Island 0
Stetson 10, Akron 0
Ball State 5, IUPUI 4
Indiana 6, Ball State 5
Bucknell 8, Bowling Green 4
Bowling Green 9, Niagara 1
North Florida 6, Buffalo 5
Troy 11, Buffalo 0
Syracuse 3, Central Michigan 2
Western Illinois 1, Central Michigan 0
Miami 9, North Dakota 7
UIC 6, Miami 0
Northern Illinois 8, Sam Houston 7
Pittsburgh 4, Northern Illinois 0
Ohio 4, Tennessee Tech 3
Robert Morris 9, Toledo 0
Seattle 12, Western Michigan 4
UC Riverside 7, Western Michigan 1
Akron
Results
DELAND, Fla. – The University of Akron softball team split a pair of games on the second day of competition at Stetson's Westin Lake Mary Lead-Off Classic on Saturday. The Zips (1-3) shut out Rhode Island, 5-0, in the afternoon and were shut out by host Stetson (2-1), 10-0 in five innings, in the nightcap.
"It was good to get win No. 1 today and also good to score throughout the game," head coach Julie Jones said. "However, we have a lot of work to do to win the way we expect to win ballgames."
In the opener against URI, Akron jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first as senior second baseman Kellie Roudabush (Hilliard, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to get on base. She advanced to second on a sacrifice by senior Chelsea Wildey (Oviedo, Fla.), and took third and scored on wild pitches.
In the top of the third, senior outfielder Taryn Allmon (Grove City, Ohio) tripled to left field. Wildey then singled to center, bringing in Allmon for the Zips' second run. In the top of the sixth, UA scored three runs to seal the win. Junior McKenzi Rhodes (Marengo, Ohio) went three-for-three at the plate with an RBI for the game.
Junior right-hander Erin Seiler (Bowling Green, Ohio) recorded her first win of the season and first shutout. She went the distance, fanning seven and walking three.
In the nightcap, which started an hour late as the previous game ran long, host Stetson scored seven runs in the top of the third. They added two more runs in the fourth and capped the win with a 10th run in the fifth for the shutout. The Zips had three hits.
Senior pitcher Sara Pearson (Somerville, Ohio) pitched 2.1 innings, fanning two and walking two. Freshman Paige McMenemy (Westerville, Ohio) came in as relief. She struck out two and walked one in 2.2 innings of action.
Play concludes at the Westin Lake Mary Lead-Off Classic on Sunday, Feb. 8, with Akron facing Michigan State again at 10 a.m. at Patricia Wilson Field.
Ball State
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - The Ball State softball team continued to rely on late inning heroics on the second day of the 2015 season, earning a thrilling come-from-behind 5-4 (8 inn.) win over IUPUI, before coming up one run short in a 6-5 loss to Indiana State at Lipscomb’s Draper Diamond in the Music City Classic Saturday afternoon.
The Cardinals move to 2-1 with the split, and will conclude play in the Music City Classic Sunday afternoon, with a scheduled 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT first pitch versus host Lipscomb.
GAME 1 RECAP: Ball State 5 – IUPUI 4 in 8 Innings.
The Cardinals wasted little time getting onto the scoreboard in Saturday’s opening game, using a little small ball to push the game’s first run across the plate. Sophomore center fielder India Steward (Matteson, Ill./Rich South) was hit by a pitch to open the game, while senior right fielder Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) placed a sacrifice hit down the third base line to move Steward to second. After a bulk moved Steward to third, junior second baseman Emily Dabkowski (Plainfield, Ind./South Putnam) sliced a single to center field to bring home the game’s first run.
Ball State would proceed to load the bases with one out in the top of the first, only to have the IUPUI defense come up with a pair of big defensive plays to end the inning. In the bottom half of the frame, the Jaguars also loaded the bases with one out, but sophomore hurler Jocelyn Rivera (Brooklyn, Ohio/Brooklyn) struck out the final two batters swinging.
After retiring Ball State in order in the second inning, IUPUI turned in a three-run rally in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-1 lead.
Ball State looked poised to respond in the top of the third, loading the bases with two outs, but the Jaguars were able to end the rally attempt with a strikeout. IUPUI then added a fourth run in the bottom of the third, taking a 4-1 advantage on a two-out RBI single from pinch hitter Jazmine Pedrotti.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Ball State rallied for two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Senior left fielder Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) started the rally with a one-out double, while senior catcher Jessica Craft (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) followed with a walk to put a pair of runners on base. After a groundout by sophomore third baseman Hayley Cruthers (Swartz Creek, Mich./Swartz Creek) advanced the runners to the corners, starting junior first baseman and then relief pitcher Sammi Cowger (Fenton, Mich./Fenton) helped her own cause with a two-run single to right field.
The Cardinals would go on to tie the score in the top of the sixth inning, as Steward was hit by a pitch to open the inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
While Ball State was making the offensive rally, Cowger was shutting the Jaguars down from the circle, retiring the side in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Dabkowski then came through with another clutch extra-inning hit, knocking in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field. Steward scored on the play after being placed on second and advancing to third on a groundout from Cihlar.
Cowger went on to retire the side in order once again in the bottom of the eighth to pick up her first pitching victory of the season. Over 6.0 innings of relief work, Cowger held the Jaguars to two hits, while striking out four batters.
GAME 2 RECAP: Indiana State 6 – Ball State 5
For the third consecutive game, the Cardinals found themselves in an early hole, as Indiana State scored three runs in both the first and second innings to pull ahead 6-0.
Ball State pushed its first run of the game across the plate in the bottom of the third, when Cowger led off the inning with her first home run of the season.
The score remained 6-1 until the bottom of the seventh, when the Cardinals put together another late rally. Dabkowski opened the inning with a double and advanced to third on a single from Stuedemann. An Indiana State error followed, allowing Craft to reach base and Dabkowski to score. After a lineout, sophomore third baseman Amanda Arnett (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) officially joined the Ball State bomb squad with her first career home run, a three-run blast over the center field wall.
Still trailing by one, at 6-5, the Cardinals managed to put a pair of runners on with one out, but a pair of fielder’s choices ended the come-back attempt.
Freshman pitcher Carolyn Wilmes (Evansville, Ind./Mater Dei) suffered the loss in her Ball State pitching debut, allowing six runs (only three of which were earned) on four hits. She did strikeout a pair of Sycamores.
After earning a relief win in the season-opener, Rivera added another solid back-up outing, forcing a double-play to end an ISU scoring threat in the top of the fifth, while retiring the side in order in both the sixth and seventh innings.
Bowling Green
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
The Bowling Green State University softball team began the 2015 season Saturday evening (Feb. 7), splitting a pair of games at the Cleveland State University Dome Tournament. The Falcons of head coach Shannon Salsburg pounded out 13 hits in a 9-1 win over Niagara, before falling by an 8-4 outcome to Bucknell.
Junior pitcher Braiden Dillow picked up the win against Niagara, with six innings of one-run, five-hit ball. She walked just one batter and struck out six vs. the Purple Eagles.
Dillow returned to the circle in relief in the Bucknell game, giving up just one unearned run in five innings of work. On the day, Dillow had an earned-run average of just 0.82, allowing opponents to hit just .184 against her in 11 innings.
At the plate, every one of the nine hitters in BG's starting lineup had at least one hit in the Niagara game, with four players banging out two hits apiece. That quartet included juniors Marina Cobbs and Molly Holliday, sophomore Trista Mokienko and freshman Morgan Evangelista. Three other Falcons -- sophomore Haley Schrock and freshmen Katee Hinkle and Kayla Koch -- drove in two runs apiece vs. the Purple Eagles.
"We did a lot of good things in both games," said Salsburg. "We scored runs throughout the order and made some great defensive plays. One inning got away from us in the second game and we simply got into too deep of a hole.
"Braiden Dillow had a strong first day for us. She threw a lot of innings and got stronger as the day went on. We look forward to coming out tomorrow and working to improve."
The Falcons never trailed vs. Niagara, scoring twice in the top of the first inning to assume control. NU got a run back in the second, but the Falcons scored three times in the fifth frame, then broke the game wide open with a four-run seventh. Freshman Briana Combs made her debut in relief of Dillow, pitching a one-two-three seventh inning as BG closed out the victory.
In the Bucknell game, the Falcons again broke on top with a run in the bottom of the first, but the Bison scored three times in the second inning and five times in the third to take an 8-1 lead. The Brown and Orange scored twice in the bottom of the third and added a run in the fourth, but could draw no closer.
Cobbs again had two hits vs. Bucknell, scoring two of the Falcons' four runs, while sophomore Aspen Searle had a solo home run against the Bison.
For the Falcons, the 2015 season began with Searle drawing a walk and promptly stealing second on the very next pitch. Cobbs moved Searle to third with a single, and Cobbs then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. The first run of the season came when Mokienko singled up the middle to plate Searle, with Cobbs taking third on the play. One out later, Evangelista walked to load the bases, and Schrock looped a single to right field to score Cobbs. NU pitcher Sydney Smyers worked out of the jam to avoid further damage, but the Falcons had a 2-0 lead after half an inning.
In the bottom of the first, Dillow allowed a leadoff single, and a one-out error put two runners aboard, but the junior proceeded to whiff the next two batters to end the inning.
In the second inning, NU put two runners in scoring position with no outs, on a leadoff walk and a double to left center. The Purple Eagles got a run on a two-out grounder, but Falcon second baseman Searle kept the ball from going into the outfield, holding NU's second runner at third base. Dillow induced the next batter to hit a fly ball to left, which Schrock gloved to end the inning.
The top of the third inning saw Mokienko blast a ball to deep left-center for one of just two extra-base hits for the Falcons in the game. But, after the one-out double, Mokienko was stranded at second.
NU got the potential tying run to third base in the bottom of the third, as Desarae Maldonado doubled with one out and advanced to third on a grounder. But, Dillow struck out Victoria Bretz to end the inning for the second time in the game.
The fifth inning saw the Falcons score three times to take a 5-1 lead. Holliday singled to lead off the inning, and Cobbs moved her to second on a one-out infield single. Both runners moved up on a double steal, and after Mokienko ripped a liner that was grabbed by the shortstop, Koch plated them both, blasting a double to the fence in right. Then, Evangelista singled up the middle to score pinch-runner Emily McClelland.
NU put runners at the corners with two outs in the fifth, but Dillow retired Bretz to end the inning for the third time on the evening, getting her to ground out to third base.
The Falcons broke the game wide open in the top of the seventh. Mokienko walked, and Koch was hit by a pitch. Evangelista singled to left to load the bases, and Mokienko scored on a groundout by Schrock.
Senior Chloe Giordano's single plated Koch to make it a 7-1 game, and Giordano took second base on the throw, putting two runners in scoring position. The next batter, Hinkle, brought them both around, lacing a single past the shortstop to give the Brown and Orange a 9-1 advantage.
Combs replaced Dillow in the circle and got a grounder to short, a popup to third and a game-ending strikeout.
The Bucknell game saw the Falcons take a first-inning lead for the second time in as many games. Senior Jamie Kertes worked a quick one-two-three inning in the top of the first, and BG took the lead when Koch singled down the right-field line to plate Cobbs, who had reached on an error.
BU responded, however, scoring three times in the second inning. The Bison put runners at the corners with no outs on a single and a double, and after Kertes induced Mariah Midyette to hit a popup to shortstop, Cheyanna Young singled up the middle to tie the game. Another run scored in a wild pitch, and an Erin Cox single plated a third run before Kertes got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
The Bison got back-to-back singles to begin the next inning, however, and Combs replaced Kertes in the circle. She was greeted by a Kristen Zahn double, however, and a single scored another run.
Dillow entered the game and got a grounder to second, but another run scored. With two outs, BU scored two more runs, on a wild pitch and a passed ball, respectively, and the Falcons trailed, 8-1.
Dillow allowed just two hits over the remaining four innings, and the Brown and Orange began to cut into the Bucknell lead. In the bottom of the third, Searle blasted a ball over the fence in left-center. The solo homer was Searle's first of the year and the fourth of her career. Cobbs and Mokienko each singled up the middle, and one out later, an Evangelista single brought Cobbs around to score. With runners at second and third, however, Bucknell starter Dana Nielsen got an inning-ending groundout.
In the fourth inning, Giordano greeted BU reliever Taylor Langtry by ripping a pitch to left field for a leadoff triple. Landtry got a groundout that forced Giordano to hold at third, but the next batter, freshman Kayla Gregory, hit a grounder to second that plated the run to make it an 8-4 game.
But, the Falcons could draw no closer. A double-play ball erased a BG leadoff walk in the fifth inning, and in the sixth, a pair of runners were stranded. Schrock's single and a walk to Giordano put two runners on base with one out, and they moved up to second and third on a wild pitch. But, reliever Amanda Fazio got a popup to second base, then a grounder that resulted in an inning-ending fielder's choice.
In the seventh, a one-out single was erased by a game-ending double play.
On the day, nine different Falcons had at least one hit, with Cobbs and Evangelista batting .500 and Mokienko .429 in the two games. Cobbs was 4-for-8 with a team-leading four runs scored. Koch had a BG-high three runs batted in on Saturday, with three of her teammates driving in two runs apiece.
The Falcons are back in action on Sunday (Feb. 8), concluding play in the CSU Dome Tournament with two more games. BG will face Canisius at 3:30 p.m. and Robert Morris in a 6:00 p.m. contest.
Buffalo
Results
TROY, AL – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, softball team dropped a pair of games on Saturday as the Bulls lost to North Florida, 6-5, and then they lost in five innings to the host Troy, 11-0.
Despite an early 4-0 lead in the opener on Saturday, the Bulls were unable hold on as North Florida scored three runs in the top of the seventh for the 6-5 win. UB looked to be in good shape early on as it scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run home run to left field from junior Lauren Gambone. It was UB's first home run of the year and the first for Gambone as a Bull.
The Bulls scored two more runs in the bottom of the second inning as senior Alexis Curtiss drove in fellow classmate Karly Nevez, who opened the inning with a double. Curtiss came in to score following an infield single from Gambone to give UB a 4-0 lead. North Florida scored the next three runs to pull within, 4-3, but UB got back on the board in the bottom of the fifth.
Sophomore Savanna Norcio opened the inning with a triple down the right field line, but remained there with two outs when freshman Kelsey Johnson came on as a pinch hitter and scored Norcio on an infield single. It was the first hit and run batted in for Johnson.
North Florida came back in the top of the seventh to score three runs and take a 6-5 lead and despite UB putting two on in the bottom of the seventh, it was unable to tie the game up. Freshman Charlotte Miller picked up the loss as she struck out four in 6.2 innings pitched. UB had 10 hits in the game, but committed five errors in the field. Curtiss went 2-for-3 from the plate, while Gambone and Norcio also had two-hit games for the Bulls. Gambone finished with three runs batted in.
The Bulls managed just two hits in the second game against Troy, with one coming from Norcio and the other from senior Nora McGuire. Troy took advantage of two big innings as it scored four runs in the first and seven runs in the third.
Redshirt sophomore Bobbi Langlois picked up the loss as she allowed nine runs, but just three of them were earned.
"The bottom line is that we have to play error-free defense and our pitchers have to throw strikes," said head coach Trena Peel. "We are beating ourselves in most of these situations."
The Bulls will conclude play at Troy tomorrow morning when they play Florida A&M at 10:30 am EST.
Central Michigan
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Sloppy defense cost the Central Michigan softball team in both of its games Saturday at the season-opening Loyola/UIC Invitational.
Chippewa errors led to the winning run in both games as CMU fell to Syracuse, 3-2; and to Western Illinois, 1-0. The Chippewas (0-3) are scheduled to play co-host Illinois-Chicago on Sunday.
Syracuse used a one-out fielder's choice, a wild pitch and a CMU error to push across an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning, breaking a 2-2 tie.
Trista Cox hit her second home run of the season, a two-run blast in the sixth inning, to pull Central Michigan into a 2-2 tie.
CarolAnn Sexauer finished with two hits, while Chelsea DeLamielleure, Kristen Kuhlman and Lacy Tolfree had one each.
CMU pitcher Rachael Knapp allowed five hits, walked five and struck out nine in taking the loss.
The Chippewas suffered a similar fate against Western Illinois when the Leathernecks used a fielder's choice, a stolen base and two errors to push across the game's only run in the fifth inning.
For CMU, Kristen Goodall doubled, while Sara Hansen, DeLamielleure and Maison Kalina each singled. CMU stranded at least one runner in each of their final four at-bats, and they left two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Freshman Hanna Warren took the loss. She allowed four hits, walked three and struck out five.
Miami
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Miami University softball team earned another split on Saturday at the indoor Total Control Sports Invite tournament. The RedHawks defeated North Dakota, 9-7, in the morning. They then fell to UIC, 6-0, in the evening. MU is now 2-2 on the season.
North Dakota struck for one run in the top of the first and two runs in the top of the second in the opener. The RedHawks offense was up to the task of answering as a double by junior outfielder Taylor Shuey scored senior outfielder Tiyona Marshall in the bottom of the first and a single to centerfield by Marshall scored senior third baseman Remy Edwards in the bottom of the second.
Trailing 3-2, the RedHawks used the long ball for three runs in the bottom of the third inning. With senior outfielder Bree Lipscomb on base, senior designated player Megan Mattera blasted a two-run home run to give Miami its first lead of the day. One batter later, freshman second baseman Kaitlyn Gliha hit her first career home run, a solo shot, to give the ‘Hawks a 5-3 advantage.
MU followed that big inning up with four more runs in the bottom of the fourth. A triple by Shuey scored Marshall. Lipscomb followed with a double to left field to score Shuey and make it 7-3. Mattera and freshman catcher Kat Lee each walked to load the bases. Gliha then drew another walk to force home Lipscomb. Edwards completed the RedHawks’ scoring with a single to left field that scored the pinch runner, junior outfielder Tanya Busby.
Sophomore pitcher Kelsey Fredericks got the start for the RedHawks and she gave way to junior pitcher Amber Logemann in the top of the second. Logemann kept North Dakota at bay until the top of the sixth inning, when it scored three runs on four hits and an error to pull within three at 9-6. ND was able to score one more in the top of the seventh, but Logemann recorded the final out to earn her first win of the season.
Shuey finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored, while Edwards was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Marshall continued her hot start to the season with a 2-for-3 performance, finishing with one RBI and one run scored. Gliha was 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored.
The afternoon game against UIC was a pitcher’s duel between Edwards and the Flames’ Bridget Boyle. The two kept the game scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and two out, pinch-hitter Dana Capocci hit a single to right field to score two runs and put UIC on the board.
The Flames chased Edwards with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth and completed their scoring with two runs off Mattera in the bottom of the sixth. The RedHawks got a pair of baserunners in the final innings, but were unable to push them across.
Busby finished the nightcap 2-for-3. Marshall, Shuey and senior shortstop Kylie McChesney also had hits for Miami.
The RedHawks complete play at the Total Control Sports Invite on Sunday when they take on Loyola (Chi.) at 12:30 p.m. (EST).
Northern Illinois
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Northern Illinois University softball team split its Saturday twinbill, defeating Sam Houston State before losing to Pittsburgh.
The Huskies (1-3) knocked four home runs against the Bearkats (0-4) for NIU’s first win of the year, but saw its offense silenced later against the Panthers (4-0).
Game One: Huskies Clobber Four Homers, Defeat SHSU, 8-7
NIU continued its power surge in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader, belting four home runs en route to an 8-7 win over Sam Houston State.
Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana), Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Radford Univ.) and Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) each went over the fences for the second-straight game, while Rebecca Rupard (Normal, Ill./Normal West) joined the long ball party with her first roundtripper of the year.
“The wind was blowing out, so there were just a lot of home runs all day on the field,” said NIU Head Coach Christina Sutcliffe. “Our hitters all day did a really nice job of sticking to their plan at the plate, getting a good pitch to swing at and we had a ton of baserunners all day long.”
SHSU got on the board first in the bottom of the first. After NIU executed a 5-3 double play, Sarah Allison singled into left center to score Dani Allen from second and put the Bearkats out to a 1-0 lead.
Yet, the Huskies countered in the second inning with Woollard’s home run – her second in as many days. Following a pair of quick groundouts for the first two outs, the freshman from New Castle, Indiana, took a 0-1 pitch and lifted it over the left center fence to knot the contest at 1-1.
NIU kept the offense coming in the third. Singles from Rupard and Bryanna Phelan (Coal City, Ill./Coal City) coupled with a sacrifice bunt from Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) and a fielder’s choice by Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) set NIU up with runners on first and second with two outs. Grable proceeded to break the tie with one swing, lining a hit down the left field line for a three-run home run and a 4-1 lead.
The Bearkats got two runs back in the bottom half of the third when Allison knocked in a pair of runs on a two-out double, putting SHSU within 4-3. However, the Huskies succinctly countered when Rupard repeated Grable’s feat and knocked a two-run home run to the left field foul pole. Moments later, NIU pushed its lead to 7-3 when Harnish pushed another run across the plate with a sac fly. The Huskie hit parade continued in the fifth, as Naegele opened the frame with a solo shot to left center for an 8-3 NIU advantage.
SHSU, though, didn’t go away quietly. Following Allison’s leadoff solo shot to start the sixth, the Bearkats put together a big rally in the seventh despite the Huskies getting two quick outs. Dani Allen started it with a single, while Peyton Webb drew a walk before Allison hit a three-run home run to trim the lead to 8-7. Angelica Gonzales doubled in the ensuing at-bat to put the tying run in scoring position, but Tiffany Castillo popped out to end the threat and clinch the win.
“We had somebody ready to go, probably one hit away from going that route,” Sutcliffe said. “We trust our pitchers to get out of jams and it’s early, so we need to see if they can or cannot do it and go with our gut at that point.”
Game Two: NIU Falls Short to Pittsburgh, 2-0
After an offensive explosion in the first game, the Huskie bats went silent in the second half of the doubleheader, as Pittsburgh claimed a 4-0 victory.
Freshman Keegan Hayes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) kept the Panther offense in check by scattering seven hits and a run over 4.1 innings, but the Huskies’ offense could only get eight hits against Pitt’s Savannah King.
“Keegs is doing a really good job for us,” Sutcliffe said. “Even yesterday, she pitched a better game than I think the scoreboard showed. The more they are in that situation, the better they are going to pitch. Tara came in and did what we needed to do and shut down that inning and give us another zero the other inning. All three of them truly did a good effort.”
NIU opened the game with a golden opportunity to stake an early lead. After Bekah Harnish doubled and Kayti Grable walked, Emily Naegele loaded the bases with a single. Unfortunately, the Huskies couldn’t capitalize, as a strikeout and a groundout kept NIU off the board. Two innings later, Grable, Naegele and Alaynie Woollard all reached to juice the bases again, only for a strikeout to end the threat.
“We just couldn’t get the key hit,” Sutcliffe said. “They were able to capitalize and score some runners in scoring position. We just left them all stranded.”
However, Hayes neutralized the Panthers’ offense multiple times. With runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the first, the freshman forced Jenna Modic into a fielder’s choice with an out at home plate, then got Carly Thea to fly out to end the threat. After allowing runners on second and third with no outs in the second, Hayes nailed Jordan Fannin with a pickoff at third and ended the frame with a foul out and a ground out.
Pitt, though, finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth. Following back-to-back singles and a sac bunt, Hayes walked Shelby Pickett to load the bases with two outs. That’s when Kaitlin Manuel was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run for a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers added to their lead in the sixth. Starting with a leadoff double by Kathryn Duran, Pitt got their second run of the game with an RBI single from Manuel, then made it a 3-0 contest with a Maggie Sevilla RBI. Modic capped the three-run frame with a groundout.
In the seventh, NIU put together a late rally after going down to its final out early. Harnish started the comeback attempt by reaching base on an error, while Grable and Naegele both reached on singles to load the bases. However, Caitlyn Warren grounded out to end the threat.
NIU wraps up its stay in the Lone Star State tomorrow when they take on Texas State at 11 a.m. in the tournament finale.
Ohio
Results
KENNESAW, Ga. - With the score tied in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and third, Mikayla Cooper singled to the centerfield wall, scoring Sloan Walker and giving the Bobcats the 4-3 walk-off win against Tennessee Tech, Saturday afternoon at the KSU Classic hosted by Kennesaw State.
Ohio struck first in the bottom of the second inning when with two outs, Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) hit a homerun to right center. The Bobcats weren't done scoring in that inning. The next batter, Raven King (Alpine, Utah) walked, then advanced to second on a Michaela Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) single to centerfield. The next batter, Walker (Cypress, Texas) doubled down the leftfield line, scoring both Michaela Dorsey and King to give Ohio a 3-0 lead.
Tennessee Tech (1-1) got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Hannah Eldridge roped a single down the left field line, scoring Gabby Perez from second to cut the Bobcat lead to 3-1. The Golden Eagles would tie the game up in the top of the fifth inning when Olivia Bennett hit a two-run homerun to rightfield.
After Tennessee Tech threatened in the top of the frame, the Bobcats went into the bottom of the seventh looking for the victory. With one out, walker singled to right field and then stole second. Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) then singled to the pitcher, placing runners on first and third, setting up Cooper's (Delaware, Ohio) game winning double to centerfield, and giving Ohio the 4-3 victory.
Offensively, the Bobcats had eight total hits, with Walker and Dalton each with two. Michaela Dorsey, Hutchinson, Cooper and Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) all added one hit. Walker led the way for the Bobcats with two RBIs.
In the circle, junior Savannah Jo Dorsey (1-1) (Grove City, Ohio) went the distance, pitching seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out nine.
The Bobcats (1-2) close out play at the KSU Classic on Sunday, Feb. 8 when they take on Northern Kentucky (0-2). First pitch is set for 10 a.m.
Toledo
Results
CLEVELAND, OH - The Toledo softball team could not get its office rolling on Saturday, as the Rockets fell to Robert Morris 9-0 in five innings on day two of the Cleveland State Dome Tournament.
The loss drops the Midnight Blue & Gold to 1-2 on the season.
Toledo was outhit 12-5 in the game and committed three fielding errors, and left eight runners stranded on base.
Sophomore UT Celeste Fidge had a 2-for-2 day against the Colonials, while fellow sophomore IF Chandler Rice, senior IF Allissa Turkovich and freshman C Ashley Maynard recorded the final three hits of the game for Toledo.
Turkovich also recorded the only extra base hit, with a double down the left field line in the top of the second inning.
The pitching duties were split by sophomore Emily Anderson, senior Alli Beery and junior Marla Gooding, and the trio combined to allow 12 hits and six earned runs.
Robert Morris received a dominating performance from senior P Nicole Sleith, who allowed five hits and no runs in five innings and striking out 10 batters.
The Colonials took a 1-0 lead after the first inning and scored two in the second and four in the third to extend their lead.
Senior 2B Alexis Schwartzmiller led the way offensively for RMU, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI.
Toledo concludes the CMU Dome Tournament on Sunday with games against Bucknell and Canisius.
Western Michigan
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
TEMPE, Ariz.- The Western Michigan (1-4) softball team fell in a pair of games Saturday at the Kajikawa Classic, dropping a 12-4 decision to Seattle and a 7-1 loss to UC Riverside. The Broncos wrap up their stay in Arizona tomorrow with a final game against Ole Miss.
GAME 1: WMU 4, SEATTLE 12
Suited up as the visitors, Seattle took a 4-0 lead with a run in each of the first four innings. Bubba Morrow hit a solo home run for the Redhwaks in the first and Molly Campbell slapped an RBI single in the second. The third and fourth inning runs came in on sacrifice flies.
WMU got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Sabrina Gamboa scored on an RBI groundout by senior outfielder Jenny Rohn. The Broncos missed an opportunity to do more damage however, leaving three runners stranded on base.
The Redhawks tacked two more onto their total in the fifth on a pair of RBI doubles to stretch their lead to 5-1.
A three-run home run by Bronco freshman catcher Gabby Schefka pulled the Broncos within one in the bottom of the fifth. Ivy Schaaf and Melissa Palmer got the inning going with back-to-back singles. Gamboa hit into a fielder’s choice and Schefka stepped to the plate for her first career home, smoking a ball out in right field.
Unfortunately for the Broncos, Seattle had a lot more left in the tank and erupted for six runs in the top of the sixth, thanks in part to a three-run home run by Lisa Maulden.
Schefka, Schaaf and Palmer each finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate. Gamboa and Kelsea Cichocki both had one hit apiece.
Western Michigan used three pitchers in the game, Allyson Kus, Erin Binkowski and Becca Shemberger. The trio combined to allow 12 hits. Kus (0-1) was charged with the loss, giving up three runs and four hits over three innings.
GAME 2: WMU 1, UC RIVERSIDE 7
UC Riverside built a 7-0 lead and Western Michigan didn’t score its run until its final at bat as the Broncos fell 7-1. The Broncos had just four hits in the game while their opponents managed 10.
UCR struck early, scoring six of its seven runs in the first two innings, collecting eight hits over the first two frames. The Highlanders added their seventh run in the sixth after a leadoff double went on to score on a sacrifice fly.
Freshman Haley Thibeault started the seventh inning with a walk for Western Michigan and with two outs, sophomore Erin Binkowski drove in the run with a single to center field.
Freshman pitcher Anissa Sanchez (0-2) took the loss, allowing six runs over an inning and a third. Binkowski threw the remainder of the game, holding the Highlanders to one run and three hits.
Senior outfielder Jenny Rohn batted 2-for-2 with a double. Binkowksi and Thibeault each went 1-for-2.
