ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights softball team won game one of a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) doubleheader against Michigan-Dearborn on Wednesday afternoon. Lily Guerra hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 7th-inning with the bases loaded to take the 5-4 victory. Game two ended with a 0-0 tie after 9-innings due to darkness.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Siena Heights 5, Mich.-Dearborn 4 | Siena Heights 0, Mich.-Dearborn 0 (9-innings)
Location: Adrian, Michigan (Christensen Memorial Field)
Records: Siena Heights (15-10-1, 6-5-1 WHAC), Mich.-Dearborn (9-10-1, 9-10-1 WHAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Haley Rose got the scoring started with an RBI single through the left side with one out that scored Guerra from third base and gave SHU the 1-0 lead. Two plays later Kat Moreau hit a sacrifice fly to left field that brought Kelsey Uhl home on the tag to give the Saints the 2-0 lead going into the 2nd-inning.
The Wolverines scored three runs in the top half of the 2nd-inning to take a 3-2 lead. The first run scored off an RBI double to center field. The second run scored due to a throwing error by the Saints and the third came off a ground out.
Rose walked and moved to second on the following play when Maddie Herrera hit a single up the middle. Two plays later, Tori Harding was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A throwing error gave Alyssa Marshall first base and advanced all runners, bringing Herrera and Rose home to give SHU the 4-3 advantage.
An error by Siena Heights allowed extra bases off a single and brought a Wolverine home to knot things up at four in the 6th-inning.
Guerra smacked a single to right-center with two outs and the bases loaded, bringing Moreau across the plate for the walk-off win.
Game two was a defensive battle as both pitchers only surrendered four hits in the contest. The Saints made two errors but kept runners away from home plate through the regulation innings. Michigan-Dearborn threatened with runners in scoring position in the 8th-inning, but a clutch strikeout by Jordan Green ended the threat. The Wolverines threatened again in the ninth with runners on second and third with one out. Green sat down a batter with strikes and forced another to fly out to preserve the tie.
Michigan-Dearborn's defense handled the Saints offense in the bottom half of the ninth to extend the game to 10-innings. However, the game was called due to darkness and the final result was a tie ball game. The game will be concluded in the event that a WHAC playoff determination hinges on the result.
TOP SAINTS
HItting
• Guerra was 3-4 at the plate in game one. She scored a run, earned a base on balls, and had the game-winning RBI in the contest.
• Rose (1-2), Herrera (1-4), and Harding (1-1) each tallied a run. Rose and Herrera added a run to their stat line.
• Sam Hill (1-4), Herrera (1-4), Moreau (1-4), and Marshall (1-4) each registered a hit in the second game.
Pitching
• Uhl (W, 7-5) earned the win in game one. She pitched all 7-innings and surrendered just two earned runs while striking out six batters.
• Green threw a complete, 9-inning game in the second contest. She gave up four hits and struck out nine Wolverines in the tie.
THE OPPOSITION
Hitting
• Amber Cheplick led Mich.-Dearborn with two hits and two RBIs in the first game.
• Shae Scott, Cheplick, Madelin Skene, and Caitlyn Mauser each tallied a hit in game two.
Pitching
• Lanie Ellinger started in the circle for the Wolverines in game one. She allowed three hits and two earned runs while striking out two. Scott (L, 0-1) earned the loss in relief after 3.1 innings pitched.
• Erin McCune pitched all nine innings for UM-Dearborn in game two. She finished with four hits and five walks while striking out two Saint batters.
UP NEXT
The Saints are scheduled to host Madonna tomorrow in a WHAC doubleheader that begins at 3:30 p.m., EST.
