TUCSON, ARIZ. -- The Siena Heights softball team split on the fifth day of the Tucson Invitational Games. The Saints upset #7 Indiana Wesleyan 9-4 in the first game of the day before falling 6-2 to Mount Marty in the second game of the day. Lily Guerra led Siena with two hits and three RBIs in the win over the Wildcats. Sam Hill was the hitting leader in the second game with three hits.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Game 1: Siena Heights 9, Indiana Wesleyan 4 | Game 2: Mt. Marty 6, Siena Heights 2
Location: Tucson, Arizona (Lincoln Park Field #2)
Records: Siena Heights (8-2), Indiana Wesleyan (12-4), Mt. Marty (6-5)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Siena Heights def. Indiana Wesleyan, 9-4
The Saints took a quick 1-0 lead in the top half of the 1st-inning when Kelsey Uhl brought Sam Hill home. Indiana Wesleyan tied the game with a solo home run over the center field fence.
The Wildcats took a 2-1 lead after two errors by the Saints allowed one run to score. The lead increased to 3-1 after a double to center scored a run in the 2nd-inning.
Lily Guerra hit her first career home run over the left field fence that scored two runs and tied the game at three runs apiece. Ashley Helmink hit a home run two batters later to right center field that scored both her and Racquel Ward to give Siena a 5-3 lead.
Indiana Wesleyan cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the 4th-inning (5-4). Siena Heights scored a run off an error by the IWU defense allowed Kayla Boland to cross the plate. Another error by the Wildcats allowed Kristi Carlson to score to increase the Saints lead to 7-3. Guerra doubled to left center to bring Hill home to increase the lead to 8-3. Uhl singled to score the final run for Siena.
Game 2: Mt. Marty def. Siena Heights, 6-2
The Lancers used three hits to score two runs in the top half of the 1st-inning. Mount Marty doubled the lead in the 3rd-inning by bringing two more runners home. The score would increase to 5-0 in the 6th-inning.
The Saints cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the 6th-inning when Kayla Boland hit a sacrifice fly to score Kelsey Uhl and cut the deficit to 5-1. The Lancers tallied another run in the 7th-inning to put the score at 6-1. Racquel Ward singled up the middle to score Sam Hill and put the score at 6-2 but was not able to score any additional runs before the final out.
TOP SAINT HITTERS
= Lily Guerra hit a home run and a double in the win against the Wildcats. Both of her hits tallied at least one RBI.
= Kelsey Uhl hit two singles and recorded two RBIs in the 9-4 win in game one.
= Kayla Boland also recorded two hits against Indiana Wesleyan.
= Sam Hill and Racquel Ward each led the Saints with three hits in the losing effort against the Lancers.
SAINT PITCHING
= Racquel Ward (W, 5-0) picked up her fifth-straight win to start off 2019. She gave up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out a batter.
= Kelsey Uhl (L, 3-2) gave up four earned runs and five hits in 2.2 innings pitched to fall to 3-2 on the season.
THE OPPOSITION HITTING
= Addie Benham was 3-for-3 for Indiana Wesleyan. She also scored a run and had an RBI in the losing effort.
= Dani Lowe had three hits in three at-bats while Rylee Demony registered two RBIs to help propel the Lancers to the win in game two.
OPPOSITION PITCHING
= McKenzey Ridge (L,3-2) gave up five hits, five earned runs, and two home runs against the Saints.
= Bianca Minor (W, 3-0) surrendered 10 hits and two earned runs while striking out two Siena batters for the win.
UP NEXT
The Saints finish up competition in Tucson, Arizona tomorrow with a 1:30 p.m. MST matchup against North Central (Minn.) and a 3:30 p.m. MST game against Dickinson State.
