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Box Score 2 ADRIAN, Mich. – It was a good day for the 14th ranked Adrian College softball team as they kept their perfect season going with 2-1 and 5-1 victories over Defiance College. Adrian, the only softball team still perfect in all of the NCAA (Division I, II and III) improved their record to 22-0 on the season.
The first game was a game of long balls for the Bulldogs as junior Sarah Hall (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, launched a 3-1 pitch from Defiance's Shauna Bowers to deep left field, nearly cleared the brand new softball/baseball indoor hitting facility.
Defiance would answer back in the third. After striking out the first batter, junior Kelly Eberhardt (Wellington, Ohio/Black River ) gave up a single to Aubrie Ridinger who then advanced to second on a throwing error. After a fielder's choice advanced Ridinger to third, she was singled home by Tasha Stucke to tie the game. After the third inning Eberhardt did not allow another Yellow Jackets hit.
Neither team was able to get more than one runner on base over the next three innings as the game was tied going into the bottom of the seventh. Having just come off a nine inning victory over Bluffton on Thursday, the Bulldogs refused to let the game go into extras again. With one out in the inning, sophomore Amara Karapas (Saline, Mich./Saline) stepped to the plate. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Karapas took Bowers 1-2 offering over the left field fence, just inside the foul pole, to give the Bulldogs the win.
Eberhardt pitched the complete game striking out 14 batters while allowing only two hits and two walks to improve her record to 13-0.
In the second game, the Yellow Jackets got on the board first in the top of the second after a leadoff single by Mallory Failing. Failing then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt followed by a single and scored on a fielder's choice.
The Bulldogs answered back in the bottom of the inning as Karapas doubled and scored after a single by freshman Brittany Bertrand (Grand Blanc, Mich./Goodrich) and an error by the Defiance left fielder. Adrian had an opportunity to add more as they had the bases loaded with only one out but the Defiance pitcher struck out the next two Bulldogs to end the threat.
Adrian broke through in the fourth inning. After junior Maggie Hein (Adrian, Mich./Lenawee Christian) and senior Katie Adams (Flat Rock, Mich./Flat Rock) both reached base on Defiance errors, freshman Katie Dewyre (Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood) singled up the middle to score Hein. Senior Kristin Toney stepped up with two outs and smacked a double down the left field line to score Adams and Dewyre.
Adrian would tack on their final run in the fifth inning after Karapas led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Defiance error. Karapas would later score on a sacrifice fly by junior Katrina Wotten (Blackstock, Ont./Cartwright).
Adrian had the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning but was unable to put any runs on the board.
The top of the seventh added drama to the game after sophomore Jami Shafley (Freeland, Mich./Midland ) gave up hits to the first Yellow Jacket batters and Eberhardt came in to close it out for Adrian. Eberhardt struck out the first Defiance batter looking, got the second to pop out to her and the final Yellow Jackets batter swinging to end the game and earn her third save of the season.
Dewyre finished game two a perfect 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
Shafley finished with six strikeouts in six innings while allowing seven hits to earn her sixth win of the season.
Kaparas led the Bulldogs on the day going 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI. Hall and junior Laura Heinz (Manchester, Mich./Clinton), each finished the day with two hits.
Adrian will look to continue their unbeaten streak as they travel to Rochester College on April 3 for a 1:00 pm start.
