The Wilmington College softball team dropped a pair of hotly contested games as the Fightin’ Quakers opened Ohio Athletic Conference action with Heidelberg at the Wilmington College softball complex.
GAME ONE: HEIDELBERG 9, WILMINGTON 7
The two teams combined to score 12 runs in the sixth inning with the ‘Berg scoring seven to claim the victory.
Heidelberg scored an unearned run with a two-out single in the first and doubled its lead with a two-out single in the third.
Senior Becca Carpenter (South Charleston, OH/Southeastern) brought home Wilmington’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Wilmington tied the game as sophomore Allison Pierce (Troy, OH/Troy) singled home junior Sawyer Hooper (Leesburg, OH/Wilmington).
The Student Princes strung together five straight two-out hits to score six of their seven runs in the pivotal sixth.
Freshman Jillia Cook (Canton, OH/Glen Oak) kicked off Wilmington’s sixth-inning scoring with her first career homerun.
Back-to-back walks and a single loaded the bases, and freshman Micalah Hensley (Houston, OH/Houston) brought home two with a double, and senior Kerrie Trautman (Hartville, OH/Field) brought home another run on a groundout. Junior Savannah Hooper (Leesburg, OH/Wilmington) capped Wilmington’s scoring with a two-out single.
Cook, Savannah Hooper, Pierce, Hensley and freshman Grace Yoder (Springboro, OH/Springboro) all had two hits.
Carpenter, 0-6, allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.
GAME TWO: HEIDELBERG 6, WILMINGTON 5
Heidelberg opened the scoring with an unearned run in the top of the first inning and added four more in the top of the fifth.
Wilmington scored four in its portion of the fifth with a passed ball, a RBI single by Yoder and a two-RBI single by freshman Kaylee Barber (Columbus, OH/Westland),
The Student Princes added another run in the sixth.
Trautman’s one-out single in the sixth pulled Wilmington a run closer, before the ‘Berg recorded the biggest play of the game. HU’s shortstop ranged into shallow left field to make an over the shoulder catch to keep the tying run from scoring.
Pierce ended the game on a shot to straight away centerfield that was hauled in at the fence.
Hensley and Trautman were 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Barber finished with two RBI.
Junior Beth Persicano, 1-4, (Cincinnati, OH/Turpin) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.
WHAT’S NEXT
Wilmington (2-12 overall, 0-2 OAC) travels to Oberlin 3 p.m. Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader. The non-conference doubleheader with Franklin, scheduled for Sunday, was canceled due to impending weather.
