OLIVET, MICH. -- The Adrian College softball team split on the road against Olivet in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. The Bulldogs earned a 2-0 win in the opening game of the day before falling 5-3 to the Comets in the nightcap.

THE BASICS

Final Scores: Adrian 2|3, Olivet 0|5

Location: Olivet, Michigan (Cutler Athletic Complex)

Records: Adrian (13-17, 5-5 MIAA), Olivet (16-10, 3-5 MIAA)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One: Adrian def. Olivet, 2-0

Both teams remained scoreless through the first five innings of game one. Adrian broke the draw with a run in both the sixth and 7th-inning to earn the 2-0 victory.

Taylor Van't Land (Clarksville, Mich.) singled to right field to score Paige Cubberly (Toledo, Ohio) to give the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead. 

Lindsey Branscum (Clinton, Mich.) doubled the Adrian lead at the top of the 7th-inning when she doubled to left center, scoring Jamie Bell (Lake Orion, Mich.).

Game Two: Olivet def. Adrian, 5-3

Olivet took a quick 3-0 lead through the first inning and a half of game two. Van't Land cut the Comet lead in half with an RBI single to center field that scored Cubberly.

The score was 5-1 in favor of Olivet after four innings. The Bulldogs scored two runs in the 5th-inning, the first came off a Comet error that allowed Natalia Younan (Windsor, Ontario) to score an unearned run. Van't Land walked on four straight balls, scoring Infinity Rogers (Sand Creek, Mich.).

Olivet kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game to hold onto its 5-3 lead.

ADRIAN HITTING

Game One

• Jamie Bell (2-4, 1 R) and Lindsey Branscum (2-4, 2B, 1 RBI) each led the Bulldogs in game one with two hits.

• Five other Adrian players tallied a hit. Paige Cubberly (1-2, 2B, 1 R) finished with a double and scored one of the Bulldogs' two runs.

Game Two

• Natalia Younan (2-4, 1 R) and Taylor Van't Land (2-2, 2 RBIs) finished with two hits.

• Jamie Bell (1-4), Lindsey Branscum (1-4), and Paige Cubberly (1-4, 1 R) tallied a hit to help Adrian reach its seven-hit total.

ADRIAN PITCHING

Game One

• Rebecca Neal (Waterford Twp., Mich.) (W, 8-7) allowed four hits and struck out four on her way to her eighth win and the 10th complete game of the season.

Game Two

• Loren Vail (Belleville, Mich.) (L, 2-4) earned the start in the circle for the Bulldogs in game two. She pitched 4.0 innings and allowed seven hits and five runs (4 ER).

• Emily Baldus pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing two hits and striking out two Comets.

OLIVET HITTING

Game One

• Grace Boyle (L, 8-6) finished with nine hits, two runs, and struck out five Adrian bats.

Game Two

• Taylor Shelienberger (W, 4-4) started for Olivet in game two. She pitched 5.0 innings and allowed six hits, three runs (0 ER), and struck out four.

• Gracie Boyle (1 SV) pitched the final two innings, giving up a hit and struck out one Bulldog.

UP NEXT

Adrian returns home to hosts Alma in another MIAA doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Game one is set to begin at 2:00 p.m., ET, with game two following approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.