TIFFIN – The Wilmington College softball earned an Ohio Athletic Conference split Friday at the Cuyahoga Fairgrounds, winning the first game against Heidelberg and falling in the nightcap to Baldwin-Wallace.
GAME ONE: WILMINGTON 2, HEIDELBERG 1
Freshman Grace Yoder laced a two-out single in the seventh inning to snap to score the game-winning run as Wilmington came back to record the 2-1 victory.
Wilmington scored twice in the top of the seventh inning on the heels of the Student Princes claiming the lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Sophomore Allison Pierce was hit with one out to start the rally and sophomore Kennedy Metz ran for her. Freshman Micalah Hensley doubled to put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Freshman Kaylee Barber scored the tying run with a single and, following a flyout, Yoder cashed in the winning run. The freshman centerfielder finished 2-for-3, the only player with multiple hits.
Prior to the sixth inning, the teams were locked in a legitimate pitcher’s duel as each team had just one runner advance to scoring position. Heidelberg finally dented the plate on a two-out wild pitch in the sixth.
Senior Becca Carpenter, 2-11, allowed one earned run on six hits in seven innings of action.
GAME TWO: BALDWIN WALLACE 6, WILMINGTON 3
Baldwin Wallace raced out to a 3-0 lead after two innings to earn the split with the 6-3 victory in the nightcap.
Wilmington had the chance for a big inning in the fourth as the first two batters reached, and then the Fightin’ Quakers scored a run on an error. After a bunt single by junior Savannah Hooper, Yoder brought home a run with a single. However, despite having bases loaded and no outs, Wilmington couldn’t dent the plate again in the inning.
The Yellow Jackets got a run back in the bottom of the inning, and WC answered on a Hooper RBI single. But, Baldwin Wallace added two insurance runs in the sixth inning to secure the victory.
Freshman Mariyah Burkhardt, 2-6, took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in three innings of work.
Hooper and Yoder combined for four of Wilmington’s seven hits and both RBIs. Hooper added a pair of stolen bases for a league-high 24.
Wilmington (6-24 overall, 2-10 OAC) returns home for the first time in 17 days, the span of eight games, hosting Otterbein 3 p.m. Wednesday.
