TIFFIN – The Wilmington College softball team opened Ohio Athletic Conference play by dropping both ends of the doubleheader with Heidelberg Friday at Frann’s Field.
Heidelberg, ranked 14th in the nation, scored runs in five of the six innings including a four-run sixth that brought the game to a halt as the Student Princes won the opener, 11-3.
Wilmington took the lead in the top of the first as sophomore Savannah Hooper (Leesburg, OH/Wilmington) and sophomore Courtney Mackey (Wooster, OH/Northwestern) opened the game with singles. They each moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by senior Jessie Stewart (Fredericktown, OH/Highland), and scored on a two-out double by sophomore Chandler Fields (Delaware, OH/Rutherford B. Hayes).
The lead didn’t last long as HC scored three in the bottom portion of the frame.
Sophomore Sawyer Hooper (Leesburg, OH/Wilmington), who opened the inning with a double, scored on a two-out double by Mackey in the second. Heidelberg answered with a run in the second to take the lead for good.
The Student Princes scored two runs in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and four in the sixth to reach the final score.
Savannah Hooper finished 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and stolen base, while Fields was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Mackey was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI.
Sophomore Becca Carpenter, 4-5, (South Charleston, OH/Southeastern) allowed nine earned runs on 12 hits in five innings of work.
Wilmington was limited to three hits, and Heidelberg brought the game to a premature end with a five-run sixth innings, 8-0.
It overshadows a stellar outing by freshman Allison Pierce (Troy, OH/Troy). In her first career start, Pierce allowed just three hits in five innings of work. She yielded three runs, two earned, with three walks and a strikeout.
The Student Princes took advantage of three straight walks in the bottom of the sixth inning that jumpstarted the game-ending rally. A wild pitch and an error plated two runs, and HC put the game away with an RBI single and two-RBI double.
Mackey, Fields and freshman Taylor Hill (New Concord, OH/John Glenn) recorded the WC hits.
Wilmington (6-8 overall, 0-2 OAC) steps away from OAC action to host Hanover 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
