Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Written by Sports Information Student Workers Amanda Hall and Erica Fracassa
ADRIAN, Mich. – The 17th ranked Adrian College women's softball team maintained their perfect season beating Franklin College 8-2 and 9-1 in the first softball Saturday of the season. After the game one victory, head coach Kristina Schweikert celebrated her 100th career win, becoming only the second coach in Adrian softball history to achieve this accomplishment. The Bulldogs are now 16-0 to start the season.
After a slow start in game one, scoring only one run in the second inning, the Bulldogs took a five run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior Laura Heinz started the inning with a single to right field then sophomore Amara Karapas singling to left field. Junior Katrina Wotten followed suit singling to right field scoring Heinz's pinch runner freshman Ravin Toner. Fellow junior Maggie Hein singled to left field scoring Karapas. Freshman Katie Dewyre finished the inning with 2 RBI's resulting from her single to center field.
Junior Kelly Eberhardt earned the game one win after pitching a complete game and throwing 17 strikeouts. Although game records for Adrian are currently only available since 2007, Eberhardt's mark of 17 eclipses here own record of 11 set last season.
Hot off the 100th win, the Bulldogs scored four runs in the first inning to start game two and didn't look back.
Senior Katie Adams led off singling to left field and advancing to second on Dewyre's sacrifice bunt. Junior Sarah Hall grounded out to the shortstop but earned the RBI as Adams scored. Heinz hit a two-run homerun, her first this season, after senior Kristin Toney had gotten hit by a pitch. Karapas followed with a solo homerun to finish the scoring for the Bulldogs.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hall hit a walk off home run, her third of the season, to reach the mercy rule and end the game.
Sophomore Jami Shafley started game two going two innings allowing only one hit. Freshman Melissa Rich came on in relief to earn the win for the Bulldogs going three innings while allowing one run on two hits and striking out two. Fellow freshman Sarah Muncey pitched the final inning for Adrian not allowing a runner to reach base.
Heinz finished the day going 4-for-6 while Hein was 4-for-5 with each having two RBI's. Adams went 3-for-4 in game two with 2 RBI's.
The 16 consecutive wins to start the season sets the school record for consecutive wins to start a season and consecutive wins. Schweikert joins former Adrian coach Doug McDaniel who was the first softball coach to reach 100 victories back in 1996 and finished his time at Adrian with 133 career wins. The 16 consecutive wins to start the season sets the school record for consecutive wins to start a season and consecutive wins. The previous record was 14, which was set in 1991 which was McDaniel's first full season as head coach.
Adrian starts MIAA league play with a double-header on March 23 at Alma starting at 3:30 pm.
