Tiffin, Ohio – March 24, 2011 – The Heidelberg University softball team showed that it can finish close games as it swept a nonconference doubleheader of Defiance College at Mayer Field. The Berg topped the Yellow Jackets 7-6 in game one, followed by a 4-3 win in the nightcap. Heidelberg improves to 12-2 overall, while Defiance drops to 7-9 on the year.
In game one, solid pitching left both teams with no points on the board through three innings. In the fourth, sophomore Hannah Brumit (Stone Creek, Ohio / New Philadelphia) got things started for Heidelberg with a lead-off double. After junior Bessie Artino (Bellevue, Ohio / Bellevue) got on with a single, All-OAC junior Megan Reinhart (Tiffin, Ohio / Hopewell Loudon) belted a homerun, earning the Berg an early 3-0 lead. Reinhart now has two homers on the year.
After Defiance scored two runs in the top of the fifth, the Berg added insurance with four more runs in the bottom of the inning. Artino recorded an RBI, while freshman Kelly Martz (Roseville, Mich. / Lakeview) added two.
The Yellow Jackets threatened again in the seventh inning. With two outs and the tying run on second and the go-ahead score on first, sophomore Ali Sayre (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) showed composure and struck out the Defiance batter looking to earn her first save of the season.
Junior Lexie Pinkelman (Metamora, Ohio / Evergreen) earned her team-high fifth win on the season, pitching six innings. She gave up six runs (five earned), off six hits and struck out four and walked four.
In the nightcap, Heidelberg scored one run in the second, third, fourth and fifth inning.
Down 3-1 in the fifth inning, Defiance rallied with two runs to knot it up. In the bottom half on the inning sophomore Lauren Childs (Kingsville, Ohio / Ashtabula Edgewood) laid down a bunt to bring home freshman Alexa Crase (Bucyrus, Ohio / Colonel Crawford) for the go-ahead score.
Junior OAC Pitcher of the Week Dana Thoms (Amherst, Ohio / Firelands) earned the win, after coming in for relief. She fanned six batters in only 2.1 innings of play. She did not give up a run and only gave up two hits and had one walk.