Alliance, Ohio – March 29, 2011 – After a hard fought 2-1 extra innings loss in game one, the Heidelberg University softball team regrouped and topped the University of Mount Union 8-3 in game two in both team’s Ohio Athletic Conference opener. The Berg improves to 13-3 overall and 1-1 in the OAC, while the Purple Raiders go to 9-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
Game one of the conference doubleheader was a pitcher’s duel, with the first run of the game not coming until the bottom of the sixth inning.
Mount Union threatened early in the bottom of the first with bases loaded and two outs. However, sophomore Heidelberg pitcher Dana Thoms (Amherst, Ohio / Firelands) forced Kristen Gromes to ground out to end the inning.
With one out in the inning to follow, the Berg had the bases juiced, but was unable to put runs on the board.
The Purple Raiders engineered the first run of the day with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Jill Rader singled in Gromes to give Mount Union the late 1-0 lead.
The Berg responded the next time up. Following a double steal by sophomore Lauren Childs (North Kingsville, Ohio / Ashtabula Edgewood) and freshman Jami Wagner (Alvada, Ohio / New Riegel), sophomore Hannah Brumit (Stone Creek, Ohio / New Philadelphia) grounded out to second, bringing in Wagner to knot the game up at 1-1.
The game would go into extra innings. Mount Union clinched the win with their second two-out RBI of the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Thoms pitched a complete game with 7.2 inning of work. She gave up two runs (all earned) off seven hits. Thoms walked four batters and struck out the same.
Heidelberg did not waste any time in the nightcap to puts runs on the board. With one out in the first inning, Brumt tripled which brought home Childs for the 1-0 lead.
Freshman Kelly Martz (Roseville, Mich. / Lakeview) led off the second inning with a triple of her own, the first of her collegiate career. She was brought home following a sacrifice fly out courtesy of sophomore Ashley Stromack (LaGrange, Ohio / Keystone).
Brumit added two more RBI in fifth and sixth inning. Also recording an RBI was junior Megan Reinhart (Tiffin, Ohio / Hopewell Loudon) in the fifth.
After Mount Union rallied up three runs in the bottom of the sixth, bringing the score to 6-3 in favor of the Berg, Reinhart added insurance with a home run in the seventh. Reinhart now has three homers on the year. Freshman Erica Huffman (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) added an RBI of her own later on in the inning off a double.
The Berg’s offense dominated with a 15-5 hit advantage.
On the mound, junior Lexie Pinkelman (Metamora, Ohio / Evergreen) earned her seventh win on the season. She went seven innings and earned four strike outs and had two walks. Pinkelman gave up three runs (two earned) off five hits.