GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Siena Heights softball teams split in the first doubleheader in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) season on the road against Cornerstone. The Saints (12-7, 1-1) fell 6-3 in game one before edging the Golden Eagles, 9-8, in game two.
Game One: Cornerstone def. Siena Heights, 6-3
Freshman Courtnee Chappetta (2-for-3) led the way for the Saints' offense in the day's opening game as she was the only SHU player with two hits in the game. Chappetta also scored a run while bringing in two runs. Sam Hill (1-for-3), Maddie Herrera (1-for-3), Kelsey Uhl (1-for-3), and Kat Moreau (1-for-3) each totaled a hit in the game. In addition, Herrera and Uhl crossed the plate. Uhl added an RBI to her offensive stat line. The senior from Toledo, Ohio, also got the start in the circle for SHU. Uhl (L, 3-4) saw 5.2 innings of work and allowed nine hits and six earned runs while sitting down eight Golden Eagles.
Cornerstone broke the scoreless tie with a single to right field that brought two runs across home plate for the 2-0 lead.
Chappetta hit a home run to left field to score herself and Herrera, tying things at two runs. Uhl followed with a solo shot to the left-center to give the Saints a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth. A triple to right-center scored a run for the hosts to tie before a double to right-center brought two more runs home, and the Golden Eagles recaptured the lead, 5-3. The final run came on a double to left-center, putting the score where it would stay through the remainder of the game.
Game Two: Siena Heights def. Cornerstone, 9-8
Uhl (3-for-4) had a monster second game with three hits, a double, a home run, two runs, and three RBIs to lead the Saints in the win. Chappetta (2-for-4) and Lyndsey Pena (2-for-3) had two hits. Chappetta scored a run while Pena had two RBIs. Lily Guerra (1-for-4) tied Uhl with three RBIs while scoring two runs. Jordan Green made the start at pitcher for SHU. Green pitched 4.2 innings. Shyann Truax (W, 4-1) came in relief and recorded two strikeouts. Uhl pitched the final inning for her first save of the game.
After two runs crossed the plate, Cornerstone hopped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning. The score remained for three innings until Uhl hit a lead-off home run to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning. Pena singled to right-center to bring Guerra home and tie the score at two runs. A home run to left field broke the tie for Cornerstone and a second home run to left-center extended the advantage to 4-2.
Uhl then doubled down the left-field line and scored Herrera to bring the Saints closer to digging out of the lead. However, Pena singled through the right side three batters later to bring Chappetta home and knot the score up for the second time with four runs.
Uhl came through for the Saints in the seventh with a single up the middle to score Hill, and the Saints took their final lead of the game. Guerra homered to score Uhl and Herrera, and Sam Spicer (1-for-4) belted a home run to hold a 9-4 lead. Cornerstone battled back in the bottom of the seventh, but SHU held on to seal the one-run victory with a strikeout that secured the last out.
UP NEXT
The Saints remain on the road with a WHAC doubleheader against 18th-ranked Aquinas on Sunday, April 3. The first game of the series is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.
