UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Aided by three bombs by
Gabbie Stallbaum, the Heidelberg University salvaged a split at John Carroll University on Wednesday. The Blue Streaks walked off with a 4-3 win in the opener, and The Berg trotted away with a 6-1 win in the nightcap.
Stallbaum and
Hanna Blasinsky each picked up four hits in the split. Heidelberg moved to 15-13 overall, 5-3 in the OAC.
GAME ONE: JCU 4-7-2 BERG 3-9-1
Batting leadoff, Stallbaum opened the game with a walk and moved ahead on a sacrifice bunt by Blasinsky. With two outs,
Emma Dean stroked a single through the right side for her team-leading 23rd RBI of the season.
Down 2-1 in the third, Stallbaum launched her first home run of the day -- a two-run blast to center. JCU tied the game in the bottom of the frame.
Both teams had a potential go-ahead run thrown out at the plate in the fifth, and the score remained tied at three late in the game. A costly throwing error allowed JCU to secure the victory with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Despite the loss,
Jessica Voitko (8-7) threw well. She allowed four runs (three earned) in 6+ innings. She fanned five.
GAME TWO: BERG 6-11-0 JCU 1-6-0
Kailyn Kroll put Heidelberg on the board in the second, lifting her first career home run over the left field fence.
Knotted at one in the fifth, Stallbaum broke the tie with her second home run of the day -- a leadoff dinger to right center. In the ensuing at bat,
Ellie Tressler hit a home run to left center -- her second of the season.
In the sixth, Stallbaum went yard for the third time on the afternoon -- a solo blast to center.
RBI groundouts by
Ryann Ramacciatti and Caitlynn Nelwen in the seventh deepened HU's cushion.
Caitlin Dems improved to 5-1 on the year, throwing a complete game six-hitter. She allowed one run and struck out three.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
Stallbaum's two home runs in game two was Heidelberg's first multi-homer game since Casey Moore went deep twice against Adrian on March 28, 2018 … Her three-homer day was Heidelberg's first since Abbey McKee had three longballs at Ohio Wesleyan on April 21, 2015 … Stallbaum and Tressler are believed to be the first to hit back-to-back jacks since Stephanie Drapp and Kennedy Conney achieved the feat against Wilmington on April 28, 2019.
UP NEXT:
Heidelberg visits Otterbein on Saturday for another OAC twinbill. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Lyons, JCU Sports Information
