BEVERLY HILLS, Mich. -- The Siena Heights softball team split with Lawrence Tech in a WHAC doubleheader held on Saturday at Detroit Country Day High School. The Saints took game one 2-1 in eight innings before falling 1-0 to the Blue Devils in game two. Sam Hill lead the Saints in the afternoon with three hits in the two-game series.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Siena Heights split with Lawrence Tech, 2-1 (8 innings) & 0-1
Location: Beverly Hills, Michigan (Detroit Country Day High School)
Records: Siena Heights (12-10, 3-5), Lawrence Tech (11-13, 6-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hill got things rolling for the Saints at the very first at-bat when she singled up the middle to get on base. Lily Guerra walked to put Hill in scoring position and Kelsey Uhl singled up the middle to bring her home and take the early 1-0 lead.
Lawrence Tech knotted things up in the 7th-inning after a run scored during an attempted double play by Siena got the runner at second but failed at first to extend the inning and allow the score. The Saints prevented any more scoring and ended the regulation inning with a tie.
Maddie Herrera singled through the left side to get on base with one out at the top of the 8th-inning. Kat Moreau moved Herrera to second with a single up the middle on the following play. The game-winning run came in when an errant throw on an attempted double play allowed Tori Harding to move from first to third and Herrera crossed the plate to give the Saints the 2-1 advantage. The Blue Devils threatened in the bottom half of the inning with a lead-off double but the pinch-runner was caught stealing third base and SHU secured the additional two outs needed to seal the victory in game one.
Game two was a defensive affair as neither team was able to score a run until the 5th-inning when Lawrence Tech broke the tie, scoring a run courtesy of two errors by Siena Heights. The first error gave the Blue Devils runners on the corners, the second, brought the runner from third across home plate. The Saints had a chance to score in the top half of the 6th-inning when they moved a runner into scoring position, but LTU held on to keep the 1-0 lead and eventually seal the victory.
TOP SAINTS
Hitting
• Hill finished 2-3 with a run and she reached base on balls in game one. She added another hit in game two with a 1-3 performance. She was one of three Siena Heights players to record a hit in both games (Julia Hogston and Herrera were the other two).
• Moreau was the only Saint, besides Hill, to tally two hits in a game when she went 2-3 in the opening contest.
• Uhl (1-3), Haley Rose (1-3), Herrera (1-4), and Hogston (1-3) each had a hit in the first game. Uhl recorded one of the two RBIs for SHU.
Pitching
• Uhl (W, 5-5) pitched her sixth complete game of the season in the 2-1 game-one win. She surrendered six hits, one run, and struck out three Blue Devil hitters.
• Jordan Green (L, 7-5) pitched all six innings for the Saints in the final game of the day. She allowed four hits and one run while striking out three.
THE OPPOSITION
Hitting
• Elizabeth Coon was one of six Lawrence Tech players to record a hit in game one. She was credited with the only RBI in the first contest.
• Four LTU players tallied a hit in the final game of the day.
Pitching
• Makayla Benz (L) got the start for the Blue Devils in game one. She gave up eight hits, two runs, and struck out seven SHU batters.
• Clover Brandt (W) earned the win in game two. She also struck out seven Saints.
UP NEXT
The Saints return home tomorrow for a WHAC doubleheader against Cleary that begins at 12:00 p.m., EST.
