May 1, 2010

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ADRIAN, Mich. - Sophomore Kelly Eberhardt set the single season strikeout record on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader against Calvin. She fanned seven Knights and also got another strikeout in game 2 to end the regular season with 164 strikeouts. She broke the mark of 159 set last year by current junior Kelly Tomasek.

Adrian (27-9, 12-4) split with Calvin but it did not hurt them in terms of the MIAA standings as they finished second in the regular season with a 12-4 league record. Calvin won 2-1 in game 1 as Eberhardt (18-6) took the loss for the Bulldogs. She allowed just five hits in seven innings and gave up just one earned run. Shelby Mast (10-18) kept Adrian scoreless over the final six innings after giving up a first inning run.

The Bulldogs led 1-0 after one inning on the back of two errors by Calvin which allowed Katie Adams to score an unearned run. Calvin tied the game with a run in the third as Adrian committed two errors which allowed the Knights to plate their first run. The only earned run of the game came in the sixth as Mallissa VanRooyen led off the inning with a solo home run to left center for her second blast of the season. Adrian left two runners on base in both the sixth and seventh innings as they attempted to tie the game.

The Bulldogs rebounded with a 4-3 win in game 2 as senior Meghan Stevens got AC off and running with a two-run homer in the first. It was her seventh long ball of the season and 25th of her career. Adrian tacked on two more runs in the sixth as Adams and Rachel Batman walked to start the inning. Sarah Hall laid down a bunt and Adams beat the throw to third to load the bases with no outs. Stevens got her third RBI of the game with a liner off the leg of third baseman Aubree Thompson allowing each runner to move up one base and give AC a 3-0 lead. Kristin Toney reached on a fielder's choice with one out and got an RBI as Calvin made a play at third base for the second out.

Calvin made things interesting with three runs in the sixth as they had three straight singles to start the inning. VanRooyen's RBI single to right scored Kim VanderAkker from second to cut the lead to 3-1. The play at the plate also allowed both runners to move to second and third. Marie Prins hit a RBI groundout to second to make it 4-2 and move a runner to third. Mandy Johnson followed with a RBI groundout to shortstop and Calvin creeped within one run at 4-3.

Eberhardt picked up her second save of the season throwing a spotless seventh. She got Thompson to groundout to shortstop Maggie Hein for the first out. She got Ashley Oosterink to strike out looking for the second out. The last out was a long fly ball to left off the bat of Lauren Spoelstra.

Adrian only had two hits in game 2 both off the bat of Stevens. Jami Shafley (6-1) threw six innings and got the win for Adrian. She gave up six hits and three earned runs with no walks and four strikeouts.

Today marked the final home game for seniors Stevens, Jenna Kloster, Ashley Kalinski and Rachel Batman.

The Bulldogs will play on Thursday, May 6 as the two-seed in the MIAA Tournament hosted by league regular season champion Alma. Adrian will face third-seed Trine at 11:00 AM while Alma and Saint Mary's will play immediately following the first game at 1:00 PM. Adrian won both games against the Thunder earlier this season.