KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Siena Heights softball team split the two games played today in Florida. The first game was a 9-7 loss at the hands of Webber International, the second an 8-1 win over Bethel (Ind.). Kiley Elbaor (Highland, Mich.) earned the win in game two to improve her record as a pitcher to 3-1. She pitched all seven innings and allowed only three hits and one run while striking out four batters.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Game 1: WIU def. SHU, 9-7 / Game 2: SHU def. BU, 8-1
Location: Kissimmee, Fla.
Record: Siena Heights (4-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: WIU def. SHU, 9-7
The Warriors took a 2-0 lead through the first two innings, scoring a run in the first two innings. Siena Heights got on the board at the top of the 3rd-inning when Sam Spicer (Monroe, Mich.) homered to left field to cut the deficit to one. Webber International extended the lead back to two runs in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI-single to right-center field.
Hayley Turk (Clinton, Mich.) hit a two-RBI double in the 4th-inning to score Lily Guerra (Rockford, Mich.) and Haley Rose (Napoleon, Mich.) to tie the game at three runs. Tori Harding (Hastings, Mich.) broke the tie and gave the Saints their first lead of the game 4-3 with a single up the middle that brought Turk home. A single down the left-field line scored a runner for the Warriors and tied the score at four. A walk with bases loaded allowed another run across home plate for a 5-4 lead.
Harding hit a sacrifice fly in the 6th-inning to tie the lead again before Spicer singled up the middle on the very next at-bat to bring Guerra home and regive SHU the lead, 6-5. Jordan Bianchi (Shelby Twp., Mich.) singled to score Kristi Carlson (Macomb, Mich.) and extend the Saints lead to 7-5 in the top half of the 7th-inning. Webber International scored a run off a double that put the score at 7-6 and left runners on the corners. A home run to right-center scored three runs for the walk-off score to end the game.
TOP SAINTS
• Rose was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in the game. She crossed home plate twice for the Saints.
• Bianchi (2-for-4), Spicer (2-for-3), and Turk (2-for-3) each had two hits. Spicer and Turk each tallied two RBIs and two runs while Bianchi had an RBI.
• Carlson (1-for3) and Harding (1-for-2) each had a hit.
• Kelsey Uhl (Toledo, Ohio) got the start in the circle for SHU. She pitched 5.0 innings and gave up eight hits and five runs, two of which were earned. She walked three and struck out one.
• Erika Schwartz (Rapid River, Mich.) (L, 1-1) pitched 1.2 innings. She allowed three hits, four runs, and struck out two to be given the loss in the contest.
THE OPPOSITION
• Sabrina Hebding led the Warriors with three hits.
• Dariyen Moss (W, 2-1) got the win with 2.0 innings pitched while allowing six hits, three runs, and striking out two batters.
Game Two: SHU def. Bethel (Ind.), 8-1
Elbaor singled in the bottom half of the 2nd-inning to score both Turk and Uhl for the 2-0 lead. The Pilots cut the SHU lead to one run in the 5th-inning with an RBI single. Spicer recorded an RBI single that scored Harding to score an insurance run in the bottom half of the 5th-inning. Bianchi singled two batters later to score Maddie Vansaw (Grand Blanc, Mich.) and give Siena the 4-1 lead. Uhl scored two RBI on a single, Rose scored on a fielder's choice and Harding walked to score Janelle Krueger (Ravenna, Mich.) to complete the six-run 5th-inning that gave the Saints the 8-1 lead that would be the final score.
TOP SAINTS
• Elbaor was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate while also earning the win as a pitcher.
• Uhl (2-for-3) had two hits to score a run and two RBIs.
• Sam Hill (Willis, Mich.), Maddie Herrera (Lansing, Mich.), Spicer, Bianchi, and Guerra each tallied a hit.
THE OPPOSITION
• Haley Stinson, Mahri Younger, and Morgan Bales each tallied a hit for the Pilots.
• Chloe DeJonge was credited with the loss after 4.1 innings pitched. She gave up eight hits and eight runs.
UP NEXT
The Saints will face Spring Arbor at 12:15 p.m., EST, and 4th-ranked Marian (Ind.) at 2:30 p.m., EST, in the team's second to last day in Florida.
