LIMA, Ohio -- The Siena Heights softball team earned two more wins to remain unbeaten in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play. The Saints defeated Northwestern Ohio 11-9 in game one and 5-3 in the second game for a 6-0 mark in the conference. Sam Hill was one of the best Saint hitters on the day going 5-for-8.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Game 1: SHU 11, UNOH 9 | Game 2: SHU 5, UNOH 3
Location: Lima, Ohio (Racer Field)
Records: Siena Heights (21-7, 6-0 WH7AC), UNOH (13-7, 3-3 WHAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: SHU def. UNOH, 11-9
Racquel Ward hit a two-run home run to left field in the 1st-inning to get the scoring started for Siena.
The Racers would knot things up in the second after a double to right center scored two runs.
Siena retook the lead in the third after a double to center field by Ashley Helmink scored Hill to put the Saints up 3-2. Another double by Kelsey Uhl scored Helmink to double the SHU lead to 4-2. An RBI single in the bottom half of the inning cut the Siena lead to one run.
A single by UNOH in the bottom of the 4th-inning tied the score at four. Another run would cross the plate before the end of the fourth to give the Racers a 5-4 lead.
A fielding error by Northwestern Ohio allowed the Saints to score the tying run in the fifth. The Racers regained the lead in the bottom half with a single up the middle.
After the Saints got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 6th-inning, Helmink singled to right center to score Hill to start a six-run 7th-inning for Siena. Uhl singled to score Helmink and Hayley Turk walked with the bases loaded to score Ashley Bearden as SHU went up 8-6. Jordan Bianchi crossed the plate on the next play to put the Saints up by three. Kristi Carlson singled to bring home Turk and Hill singled to score Mowery for an 11-6 SHU advantage.
The Racers tried to rally in the bottom half of the 7th-inning, but the Saints held on by only allowing three runs to seal the victory.
Game 2: SHU def. UNOH, 5-3
UNOH took a 2-0 lead after three innings. Kayla Boland singled down the left-field line in the 4th-inning to score Ward and cut the deficit in half.
A home run to right center in the bottom of the 4th-inning extended the Racer lead to two runs (3-1).
Boland doubled to left center to score both Bearden and Helmink in the 6th-inning to tie the game at three. Lily Guerra crossed the plate on a wild pitch and Bianchi singled to right field to score Boland for the 5-3 lead.
TOP SAINT HITTERS
• Helmink was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and four runs in game one and 1-for-4 in game two to extend her hitting streak to an impressive 20 games.
• Hill was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in the first game before ending the day with a 2-for-3 showing in the final game.
• Ward tallied three hits during four at-bats with two RBIs and a run during game one.
• Uhl was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in game one.
SAINT PITCHING
• Ward (W, 11-3) pitched all seven innings in the opening game. She allowed 14 hits and six earned runs while striking out three.
• Uhl (W, 7-4) pitched a complete game while giving up six hits and two earned runs. She struck out two batters on her way to the victory.
UNOH HITTING
• Mackenzie Wilson was 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the first game.
• Shayla Munyan had a team-high three hits in game two while scoring two runs and an RBI in the nightcap.
UNOH PITCHING
• Hunter Conzelmann (L, 5-2) pitched 6.2 innings while allowed 15 hits and 10 earned runs in the losing effort.
• Aubrey Brunst (L, 6-4) gave up six hits and three earned runs in the game-two loss.
UP NEXT
The Saints return home for a WHAC doubleheader against Cornerstone on Saturday, April 6. Game one is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
