UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- One rough inning was all that stood in the way of a sweep for the Heidelberg University softball team. Instead, the Student Princes had to settle for a split at John Carroll University on a picturesque Sunday in Northeast Ohio. HU won 6-1, then fell 8-3.
Heidelberg heads into the final weekend of the season 14-19-1 overall, 13-18 in the OAC standings. They are currently in the hunt for one of six spots in the 2021 OAC Tournament. The formula used to determine the teams is a bit convoluted, but factors in a team's winning percentage as well as their opponent's winning percentage.
GAME ONE: BERG 6 JCU 1
Heidelberg started hot, with
Kat Brady and
Hanna Blasinsky reaching on bunt singles.
Emma Dean followed with a base hit up the middle that plated Brady.
Brooke Lewis delivered a sacrifice fly.
JCU cut the lead in half with a single run in the bottom of the 3rd, but The Berg responded right away.
Riley Cruse scored on a base hit by
Raye Hammond.
In the fifth, Blaskinsky doubled in Brady, who had walked.
Ahead 4-1 in the seventh, Dean bashed her first collegiate home run -- a two-run blast to center.
In the circle,
Caitlin Dems was superb. She allowed no earned runs, struck out five and scattered seven hits.
GAME TWO: JCU 8 BERG 3
All eight runs for the Blue Streaks came in the second inning.
HU staved off the mercy-rule with a run in the fifth. Pinch hitter
Murissa Drown singled to center and was lifted for pinch runner
Alyssa Bennett. A Brady bunt single and a wild pitch pushed Bennett to third. She scored on a ground out by Blasinsky.
Leah Bouillon walked and moved to third on a double to left by Cruse. Hammond followed with a two-run single up the middle.
Reliever
Kailyn Kroll got the final out of the second, then put up zeroes for the rest of the game -- giving HU a chance to crawl back into the game.
UP NEXT:
Heidelberg squares off with Marietta over the weekend. Saturday is in Marietta, Sunday is in Tiffin.
Photos by Carmen Ferrante, JCU Sports Info
