ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights softball team split with Cleary in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. The Saints pulled out a 4-1 win game one before losing 14-6 in game two. Jordan Bianchi totaled four hits, a run, and three RBIs to lead the Siena hitters.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Game 1: Siena 4, Cleary 1 / Game 2: Cleary 14, Siena 6
Location: Adrian, Michigan (Christensen Memorial Softball Field)
Records: Siena Heights (26-10, 11-3 WHAC), Cleary (21-9. 8-4 WHAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Siena Heights def. Cleary, 4-1
Hayley Turk got the scoring started for Siena with a double to left center that brought Racquel Ward home for the 1-0 lead in the 2nd-inning.
Kristi Carlson extended the lead to 2-0 in the 3rd-inning with a double to center field that scored Bianchi.
Bianchi then drilled a triple to right field that scored Turk and Kelsey Uhl to double the Saint lead to 4-0 in the 4th-inning.
Cleary scored a run off a single in the 6th-inning, but the rally fell short as Siena was able to get the outs needed to end the game one after the top of the 7th-inning.
Game 2: Cleary def. Siena Heights, 14-6
Five hits including one double and a grand slam plus six Saint errors allowed Cleary to gain nine runs in the opening inning. The lead was pushed to 11 in the 2nd-inning after two Cleary runners crossed the plate. A double in the 3rd-inning pushed the Cougar lead to 12.
Turk was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Ward and put the Saints on the board. Bianchi was walked on the next play for the second Siena run. A wild pitch moved all the runners over a base and gave the Saints their third run of the game and cut the deficit to nine runs (12-3).
Ashley Helmink doubled to left center to score Vanessa Wandrie in the 5th-inning. Ward hit an RBI single to score Helmink and keep the game alive as Siena now only trailed by seven runs (12-5). Kayla Boland singled up the middle to score Ashley Bearden and cut the Cougar lead in half.
The lead was extended back to eight runs at the top of the 7th-inning before the Cougars closed things out in the bottom half before the Saints could do any more damage.
TOP SAINT HITTERS
• Bianchi (3-3) led Siena with three hits in game one. She also crossed the plate once and brought three runners home. She added a hit and an RBI to her totals in game two.
• Turk recorded two hits, a run, and an RBI in game one. She added another hit and an RBI in game two.
• Carlson tallied a hit and RBI in game one.
• Helmink totaled two hits, a run, and an RBI in game two.
• Ward finished game two with two hits along with one run and RBI.
• Uhl recorded two hits and a run in the final game of the day.
SAINT PITCHING
• Ward (W, 14-4) pitched a complete game while allowing only four hits and one earned run while striking out two batters in the game one win. She also pitched 6.2 innings in game two. She struck out three batters in that game.
OPPOSITION HITTING
• Kelsi Jacobs led the Cougars in game one with two hits.
• Liz Stockert led Cleary in game two with a grand slam in the 1st-inning to tally four RBIs.
OPPOSITION PITCHING
• Natalie O'Reilly (L, 7-4) gave up nine hits and four earned runs in game one. She struck out two Saint batters.
• Megan Robinette (W, 4-2) earned the win in game two after allowing five hits and four earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched.
UP NEXT
Siena hosts Rochester in a conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 13. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
