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Box Score 2 ADRIAN, Mich. – It was a back-and-forth matchup between the 16th ranked Adrian College softball team and the visiting Trine University as the two teams split their doubleheader with Trine taking game one 4-2 in 10 innings and Adrian taking the nightcap 7-3. The Bulldogs record now stands at 33-3 on the season and 11-3 in the MIAA.
Adrian got on the board first in game one as junior Maggie Hein (Adrian, Mich./Lenawee Christian) reached base on a Thunder error to leadoff the third inning. Senior Katie Adams (Flat Rock, Mich./Flat Rock) followed with a base hit up the middle to plate Hein.
Trine answered back in the fourth with a two-out single. Lauren Harris stepped in and golfed an 0-1 pitch from junior Kelly Eberhardt (Wellington, Ohio/Black River) over the right field fence.
It took the Bulldogs a few innings to get their groove back but in the sixth they were able to tie the game up. With two outs already in the inning, senior Kristin Toney (Cassopolis, Mich./Edwardsburg) singled to right field. Junior Laura Heinz (Manchester, Mich./Clinton) stepped in as a pinch hitter and singled to right-center moving Toney to third. Freshman Brittany Bertrand (Grand Blanc, Mich./Goodrich) came up and delivered for Adrian. With a 3-2 count, Bertrand lined the pitch back up the middle to score Toney from third and tie the game.
The game would go into extra innings as neither team was able to score in the seventh. Neither side was able get a runner on base in the eighth.
After the Thunder went down in order in the ninth, the Bulldogs had their shot to take the game in the bottom of the inning. After a leadoff single by Bertrand, junior Katrina Wotten (Blackstock, Ont./Cartwright) attempted to sacrifice Bertrand to second but popped it up. The Trine catcher drove for the ball but was unable to come up with it as it bounced off her glove and Wotten reached on the error. Hein stepped in and put up a 10 pitch battle but went down on a swinging strikeout. Adams would step in and pop out into an infield fly. With two outs, the Thunder tried to pull out a little trickery from a page out of the movies trying to fool Bertrand into taking off from second, but she didn't fall for it as stayed put. Dewyre stepped in and after another long 12 pitch at bat grounded out to end the inning.
With the game in the tenth inning, the international tie-breaker was in place so Trine started with a runner on second. After a leadoff walk, the Thunder sacrificed both runners to second and third respectively. The next Trine batter would single up the middle as the ball just got by Hein, scoring both runners. Eberhardt was able to get the next two batters in order.
With the runner placed at second, the Bulldogs were only able to advance her to third as Adrian ended the inning with two groundouts and a strikeout
Eberhardt finished game one pitching all 10 innings allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out 11.
In game two, the Bulldogs got the scoring going early as they netted four runs in the top of the second inning. With one out in the inning, Heinz and Bertrand reached on consecutive Thunder errors. Heinz would score on a single to center by Wotten. Hein would walk to load the bases and Adams followed with another walk to score Bertrand. Freshman Katie Dewyre (Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood) would reach on another Thunder error as Wotten scored. Junior Sarah Hall (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) then stepped in and delivered a single to left field to score Hein.
Trine cut the Bulldogs lead in half in the bottom of the inning. Casey Baker led off the inning as she took an 0-1 pitch from sophomore Jami Shafley (Freeland, Mich./Midland) over the right-center field fence. The Thunder would add another run after two walks and a single down the right field line.
Adrian would add a run in the third inning as Bertrand hit her first home run of the season to right field.
In the fourth inning, after Hall doubled to with one out, Toney stepped in and delivered for the Bulldogs in her final home game. On the 10th pitch of the at bat, Toney launched the Trine pitch deep over the center field wall for her first home run of the season.
Trine would tack another run on in the sixth inning, with two outs, Sarah Belote took the pitch over the fence for a home run.
Adrian threatened to blow the game open in the top of the seventh as they loaded the bases with no outs but were unable to get a run across the plate.
Shafley went two innings allowing two earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three. Eberhardt came on in relief to get the victory going the final five innings allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks while striking out five.
Toney led the Bulldogs at the plate going 4-for-9 on the afternoon with two RBI's and two runs scored. Adams went 3-for-8 with two RBI's. Bertrand was 3-for-8 at the dish with two RBI's and a run. Wotten went 2-for-8 on the day with a run and an RBI. Hall went a solid 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in game two. Hein also finished the day with two runs scored.
Adrian is now 12-16 all-time against Trine including 5-7 at home.
Adrian will travel to Hope College on April 23 for a 1:00 pm doubleheader as they wrap-up their MIAA season.
