ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights softball teams needed runs in the 7th-inning of both games to earn wins against Point Park in the home-opener on Saturday afternoon. The Saints edged the Pioneers 2-1 and 4-3 to improve to 13-3 on the season. Ashley Helmink was involved in three of the four Siena Heights runs in the 4-3 win in game two.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Game 1: Siena Heights 2, Point Park 1 | Game 2: Siena Heights 4, Point Park 3
Location: Adrian, Michigan (Christensen Memorial Softball Field)
Records: Siena Heights (13-3), Point Park (4-13)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Siena Heights def. Point Park, 2-1
Both teams were scoreless until two errors by the Saints allowed a Point Park runner to advance and score a 1-0 lead. The Saints would respond in the bottom half of the 6th-inning when Kristi Carlson bunted for a single and then stole second base. Carlson scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one run each.
After holding the Pioneers scoreless in the top half of the 7th-inning, Helmink singled to get on base to lead off the inning. Ashley Bearden would be subbed in to pinch run for Helmink at first and proceed to steal second base. Kayla Boland hit a single to move Bearden to third before Hayley Turk got the SAC to bring Bearden home and end the game with a 2-1 score.
Game 2: Siena Heights def. Point Park, 4-3
Point Park got on the board early in the second game when a two-RBI double gave the team a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers extended the lead in the 2nd-inning with an RBI single to left field put things at 3-0.
The Saints cut into the lead in the fourth when Jordan Bianchi single to right center to score Helmink. Turk scored Helmink in the 6th-inning to bring Siena within one run with the seventh left to decide the winner.
Siena had a three up, three down, top of the 7th-inning meant the Saints just needed two runs to win the game. Sam Hill reached first on a throwing error to start things off. Vanessa Wandrie was walked to put the game-winning runner on base. Bearden would come in to pinch run once again for SHU. Kelsey Uhl singled up the middle to score Hill and tie things up. Helmink hit a grounder to short which allowed Bearden to score from third and end the game with a 4-3 score in favor of the home team.
TOP SAINT HITTERS
• Helmink finished 2-for-3 in game one. She was 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the second game.
• Boland and Carlson each tallied a hit in the first game. Carlson also crossed home plate once in the 2-1 win.
• Hill finished 2-for-4 with a run in game two. Uhl was also 2-for-4 in game two while registering an RBI.
• Helmink, Boland, and Jordan Bianchi each had a hit in the nightcap.
SAINT PITCHING
• Kelsey Uhl (W, 5-3) pitched all seven innings in game one. She allowed five hits and struck out four Pioneer bats to earn the win.
• Erika Schwartz (W, 2-0) pitched 6.0 innings in relief. She allowed five hits and struck out two batters to gain a win to her season total.
THE OPPOSITION
• Taylor Goldstrohm had two hits in game one and one hit in game two to lead Point Park.
• Courtney Blocher, Amber Cook, and Chandler Krelow each finished game one with a hit.
• Maddie Horn and Hailey Leitner each had two hits in game two.
• Ashley Iagnemma (L, 2-6) struck out three Saint batters in the losing effort of game one.
• Katie Tarr struck out nine Siena Heights batters in 5.0 innings pitched before being relieved.
UP NEXT
The Saints host Calumet Saint Joseph (Ind.) tomorrow (March 24) in a doubleheader that begins at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
