ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College softball team concluded the 2023 regular season with 1-0 and 6-2 victories over Hope College Thursday evening to clinch an MIAA Tournament berth, ending a one-year hiatus from postseason play. In game one, Karson Bagelmann led all players with three hits, while in game two Genna Marasco posted a game-best three hits for the Bulldogs.
GAME ONE
Adrian College's five hits spanning through eight innings played was more than enough for the Bulldogs in game one Thursday. The Bulldogs were unable to record a hit until the bottom of the fourth, when Bagelmann, the team leader in the hitting department, singled to right field. Despite Bagelmann's hit, Adrian College would record three consecutive outs to end the inning.
Over the course of the next three innings, neither team was able to gain an advantage.
In the bottom of the eighth, Brynn McKay singled to right center and drove in Makenzi Johnson to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 victory over the Flying Dutch. In total, both pitchers combined for 12 hits over the course of eight innings.
Abbi Patton would record her 12th victory on the season en route to her second shutout in her last four appearances. Today, Patton set a career-high of eight strikeouts in eight innings pitched during game one.
GAME TWO
During the finale of Thursday's doubleheader, the Bulldogs would break the 0-0 tie in the top of the third inning and create a three-run lead for themselves. Bagelmann doubled to right center scoring Marasco on the play and advancing Borck to third. Following Bagelmann's hit, McKay singled to left field and scored Flesia Borck to double the lead at 2-0. Hailey DeChalk followed with a double of her own, knocking one to left field. During the play, Bagelmann scored and McKay advanced to third.
With the lead down to one at 3-2 in the fifth inning, Maggie Leveille doubled to center field, scoring DeChalk and advancing Peyton Russell to third. Later in the inning, Paige Stein singled to left field and boosted the Bulldog lead to three after Leveille and Russell scored during the play.
Hope would be held to one hit over the final two innings and Adrian College was able to secure a postseason-clinching sweep over the Dutch with a 6-2 victory Thursday evening.
Historical Notes:
After the conclusion of the doubleheader, multiple Bulldogs finished the season in the top 10 of the single-season record book. Some notable feats achieved (not limited to) this season by Adrian College include: Bagelmann tying Melinda McCullough (1994) for the second-most hits in a season with 59 and the second-most runs scored in a season at 45. She would also set the single-season record for the most stolen bases with 30 on the year. In the pitching department. Macee Schang tied Amy Freimund (1990) for the eighth most wins in a season with 15, while Patton tied Brooke Stewart (2013) for the 10th most wins in a season with 12.
Thursday's doubleheader sweep over Hope College concluded Adrian College's historic regular season. The Adrian College softball team not only clinched a winning conference record for the first time in 10 years (The Bulldogs posted a 11-5 record in conference play in 2013), they would do so in dominant fashion winning more than 25 games in a season for the sixth time in program history. The previous five instances the team would do such were in 1993, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
With their two victories today, the Adrian College softball team won the fourth most wins (27) in program history. After the regular season finale Thursday, Coach Kaylee Fox set the record for the most wins as a first-year head coach in program history with 27. Kristina Schweikert held the previous program record with the most wins as a first-year coach of the softball program at 21, which she recorded during the 2007-08 season.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will have one week off before the start of the MIAA Tournament. For more information and updates on the Adrian College softball team and their upcoming MIAA Tournament schedule, visit the team's website here.
