Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | 18-Game Season Stats
TIFFIN, Ohio-The Heidelberg University softball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader today with Wilmington College, falling in the first game, 8-1, but coming back to win the second game, 4-2, in Wilmington, Ohio.
Wilmington starter Danielle Monnier retired nine of the first Berg hitters she faced, while the Quakers (11-13, 2-2) exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the third inning, anchored by a Kelsey Becker grand slam.
Senior first basemen Bessie Artino (Bellevue) hit her first home run of the season in the fourth, but Wilmington negated the run in the bottom half of the inning with another tally.
Senior catcher Megan Reinhart (Tiffin/Fostoria Hopewell-Loudon) belted a pair of doubles in two at-bats and sophomore center fielder Jami Wagner (Alvada/New Riegel) and senior right handed pitcher Lexie Pinkelman (Metamora/Evergreen) also recorded safeties.
Pinkelman allowed seven runs (six earned) on five hits and struck out two while walking six over 2.1 innings and suffered the loss to fall to 3-4. Freshman righty Christine Foster (Luckey/Eastwood) worked 3.2 innings of relief, giving up one run on six hits and striking out a pair.
Brooke Byrne was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored for the Quakers. Stacy Lunsford was 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run, and Erika Lee was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run.
Monnier pitched a complete game, surrendering just six hits while striking out 10 and walking three.
In the second game, Wilmington broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning when Kerri Cunagin doubled to drive in a run, but that would be the last time the Quakers saw the plate, as junior southpaw Ali Sayre (Sylvania/Northview) retired the last 14 batters she faced.
Heidelberg took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on RBI singles by sophomore second baseman Erica Huffman (Strongsville) and Wagner and Pinkelman tacked on an insurance run in the seventh with a solo home run, her second of the season.
Sophomore left fielder Julie Okorn (Euclid) was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, Artino was 2-for-4 and Huffman was 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Sayre went the distance, allowing six hits and striking out nine without giving up a walk to improve to 4-3.
Lunsford rapped out another two hits in three tried with a pair of runs and Cunagin was 2-for-3 with a RBI.
Jess Clutter surrendered 10 hits and struck out three while walking four in a complete game effort.
Heidelberg continues its 10-game road trip Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader at Case Western Reserve University in University Circle.