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Belmont Abbey College

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Softball Suffers Two Tough One-Run Losses To Anderson, 4-3 & 2-1 In Eight Innings

3/1/2012 12:00:00 AM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Belmont Abbey softball team battled for 14 innings, but came up two runs short as the visiting Anderson University Trojans claimed two one-run wins with a 4-3 triumph in game one, and a 2-1, eight inning victory in game two. Anderson improves to 17-3, while the Abbey drops to 2-12.

In the opener, Anderson struck first on an RBI double by Abby Child, but the Crusaders immediately tied the game at one in the bottom of the frame, as Aleisha Peek drove the second pitch of the inning over the wall in right, just inside the foul pole to knot the game at one.

The Abbey added to its lead two innings later as Peek led off with an infield single and raced to second on the errant throw. Shannon Arthur doubled her home with a shot to the gap in right center.

Anderson began its comeback in the fifth as it tied the game on a Crusaders fielding error, allowing Child to score from third on a bobbled grounder. One inning later the Trojans claimed the lead for good. Jessica Neidigh led off getting hit by a pitch and scored on Rebecca Martin's double. Child followed with a single to right, and then Martin scored on a wild pitch, which was also ball four to Danielle Swygert.

Trailing 4-2, the Abbey cut it to one run in the sixth after the first two batters were retired. Katie Childers kept the inning alive with a walk and was replaced by Kaylie Mae Kuhnke. Kinsey McClure came in to pinch hit for Nikki Faust. After Kuhnke moved to second on a passed ball, McClure blooped a single to left that got past the fielder, allowing Kuhnke to score. A groundout ended the threat.

Anderson threatened but did not score in the seventh, and the Crusaders put a runner at second with two outs, but did not capitalize.

Larissa Ostapiak earned the win in the circle for Anderson, as she gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits in a complete-game effort. She fanned seven and walked a pair. Faust gave up four runs, three earned, on nine hits in six innings, striking out three as she was charged with the loss.

Peek led the Abbey with two hits, while Amber Faust, Arthur and McClure all totaled one. The Abbey finished with six. Child led Anderson with three hits as the Trojans recorded nine.

The nightcap was a back-and-forth affair from the start as the Abbey struck first in the bottom of the first on Arthur's double to left center that brought home Kelly Schweizer, who walked earlier.

Pitching dominated the game from there as the two teams combined for just one hit in the second and third innings. Anderson made noise in the fourth, advancing a runner to third with two outs, but a groundout ended the ininng.

Anderson broke through in the fifth to tie the game at one as Bri Cason led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. A groundout by Neidigh moved her to third, and Martin's single to left scored her to tie the game at one.

The Crusaders negated an Anderson threat in the seventh and came up in the bottom of the inning looking for the win, but they went down in order to send the game into extra innings.

With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Martin, who made the last out the previous inning, was placed on second to begin the eighth. Child moved her to third on a groundout, and Laura Jansky broke the tie when her fly ball to right was deep enough to allow Martin to slide home just ahead of the ball to move the Trojans ahead 2-1. A groundout to the pitcher ended the inning.

Down to its final three outs, the Abbey placed Savannah Carpenter at second to begin the inning, and she raced to second on Schweizer's sacrifice single. With the tying run at third with just one out, an infield popup and a fly ball to the gap in leftcenter ended the game.

Amber Duncan was credited with the win as she gave up just one run on five hits in eight innings, striking out five and walking one. Emily Self took the loss after yielding two runs, one earned, on six hits in eight innings. She fanned one.

Six different Trojans had one hit apiece and three different Crusaders had one hit apiece.

Game One Box
Game Two Box

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