May 1, 2009

Box Score

ANGOLA, Ind. - The Adrian College softball team opened up the 2009 MIAA Tournament with a 5-3 loss to Alma College. The Bulldogs fought back from a 2-0 deficit, and were able to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning. The Scots tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, and won the game by scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Scots took an early lead against Adrian by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kelly Tomasek struck out the first batter of the inning. Kelsey Rightenburg recorded the first hit of the game for Alma with a single to leftfield. Brittany Fales put the Scots on the scoreboard with a two-run home run over the fence in left centerfield.

The game remained 2-0 in favor of Alma until the third inning. Katie Adams led off the third with an infield hit to the shortstop. Krissy Sheets laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Adams to second. Sarah Hall drove the ball back up the middle of the infield for her second hit of the day. Adams reached third base on the play. The highlight of the day for Adrian came when Holly Lowe slammed a three-run home run over the fence to give Adrian a 3-2 lead.

The Scots started their comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning as Fales and Kasey Miller each hit singles to start the inning. Katrina Wotten made a great defensive play for Adrian to record a double play. Wotten tracked down a fly ball down the rightfield line, and then threw out the runner trying to tag up to third base.

Miller was able to advance to second base off a wild pitch from Tomasek with two outs in the inning. The wild pitch proved to be costly as Houston Verbeck followed in the lineup with an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3.

Adrian was unable to score and the Scots took advantage of an error to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tomasek walked the leadoff batter to give Alma their first base runner. Tomasek buckled down to strike out Camille Dittmar to record the first out of the inning. The Bulldogs got out number two on a force out at second base. Stevens shifted in the infield and played alongside Tomasek. She made a play on the ball and was able to throw out the lead runner, as Lowe covered second.

The play of the game came with Rightenburg at the plate. Rightenburg hit a shallow fly ball to leftfield. Lowe retreated from her shortstop position, and Adams came flying in from rightfield but there was no communication as Rightenburg reached first on an error.

Fales came up to bat with two outs and runners in scoring position. She delivered the game winning hit with a two RBI single to centerfield. Fales ended the game with a 3-for-3 performance from the plate with a game-high four RBI's.

Hall, Adams, and Jenna Kloster led the Adrian offense with two hits each. Tomasek was on the mound for AC. She threw a complete game, but picked up her second loss of the season.