TIFFIN -- The Heidelberg University softball team came from behind to win both halves of a crucial conference doubleheader against John Carroll. The Student Princes walked off with a 6-5 win in the opener, then took the nightcap, 10-4.
Heidelberg improved to 18-12 overall and 7-7 in OAC action. With four games left, The Berg remains in the hunt for one of four spots in the OAC Tournament.
Kat Brady was 6-for-7 with four stolen bases on the day.
GAME ONE: BERG 6-12-4 JCU 5-7-3
Heidelberg struck first blood with a run in a very predictable fashion in the first.
Kat Brady reached on an infield single and stole second. With two outs, she came around to score on a line drive base hit from
Emma Dean, who leads the OAC in RBIs.
Teams traded unearned runs in the second, with Heidelberg's scoring on an errant throw by the JCU third baseman.
Down 2-1, the Blue Streaks tied the game in the top of the fourth with another unearned run.
The score remained tied until the top of the seventh when the Blue Streaks plated three runs.
Summoning all of the Frann's Field Magic possible, HU battled back in a big way.
Meghan Bame ignited the rally with a single just inside the line in left and advanced on a passed ball. After moving to third on a fly out, Bame scored on an infield single by
Ryann Ramacciatti.
Murissa Drown reached on an error and
Maddie Gossard blooped a single in to load the bases. With two outs, 'Berg Head Coach
Mari Briggs turned to pinch-hitter (and well-behaved airplane passenger)
Jessica Voitko. Voitko delivered in the clutch, clearing the bases with a walk-off double to left center.
Payton Scheid worked 0.2 innings and picked up the win in relief of
Caitlin Dems. Dems went 6.1 innings and fanned four.
GAME TWO: BERG 10-14-2 JCU 4-4-1
A combination of walks, wild pitches and errors helped give JCU a 4-0 lead through the first 2.5 innings.
The Berg came alive with two outs in the bottom of the third. Bame hit a squibber out in front of the plate that scored
Hanna Blasinsky. Next, Dean doubled to deep left center, scoring Bame. After fouling off a number of pitches, Ramacciatti singled down the right field line and drove in Dean. Next, Gossard doubled to the fence in left, which allowed Ramacciatti to sprint home with the tying run. Voitko capped the five-run frame with a single to right that scored pinch runner
Courtney Bryson.
Ahead 5-4, an inning-ending double play in the top of the fourth helped HU carry momentum into the bottom of the frame. Singles by Blasinsky and Brady put runners on for
Gabbie Stallbaum. The 'Berg freshman launched a three-run homer to right -- her second straight home doubleheader with a home run. Later in the inning, Dean had another RBI double and Voitko added an RBI single. The hits resulted in another five-run inning.
Scheid (7-3) picked up her second win on the day, again in relief. She hurled 5.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits.
Maggie Hoffman started and went 1.1 innings.
UP NEXT:
Heidelberg is scheduled to host Oberlin for a non-conference doubleheader on Friday before heading to Wilmington on Saturday. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
