ALBION, Mich – The Heidelberg University softball team split with Albion on Saturday afternoon in a high-scoring affair, totaling 25 runs in total.
Murrisa Drown led the day with five hits and four RBIs followed by
Gabbie Stallbaum at four hits and RBIs. Stallbaum slammed yet another home run, bringing her season total to five with a team-high .512 batting average.
In the circle,
Kailyn Kroll pitched a team-high 4.1 innings, followed by 3.3 from
Ryley Pittman. Game one was won by
Ryley Pittman, who only allowed one hit and is now 2-0.
GAME ONE: Heidelberg 17-15-2 Albion 9-7-3
Up 5-1 after the top of the fourth, Heidelberg gave up a whopping seven runs to the Britons in the home half thanks to five hits.
With two outs, Heidelberg carried out their own slugfest to match the hosts' seven runs in the top of the fifth with hits from
Jade Torres,
Morgan Woycitzky, Lilli Robeson and a three RBI
Gabbie Stallbaum homerun.
Murissa Drown, and
Caitlynn Newlen rounded out the card with RBI hits.
HU relief pitcher
Jessica Voitko shut out Albion in the bottom of the fifth with just the first three batters, keeping the score 12-8.
In the sixth, the Tricolor poured on six more runs. Woycitzky, Robeson and Stallbaum were all given the go-ahead to first base from the pitcher which made room for a pair of two RBI hits from
Ellie Tressler and
Aubrey Conklin.
Robeson sent a single to center field to give way for Torress, who was hit by the pitch, to score the final run for the 17-9 victory.
GAME TWO: Albion 9-11-2 Heidelberg 8-10-2
Back for revenge, the Britons started with a strong three-run first-inning advantage.
In the second, Drown stepped up to hit her fourth double of the day for the first score by Conklin. An error by the shortstop allowed Torres to reach first and gave Drown time to put another tally, 3-2.
Madison Mosier hit a successful sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third where Woycitzky cleaned up with an RBI single. Robeson skyrocketed a sacrifice fly to right field to give Torres time to take the lead at 4-3. Stallbaum would make the final damage of the innings with an RBI single to left field and a 5-3 advantage.
The Student Princes kept the Britons quiet for the next three innings while adding one more of their own in the top of the third with doubles from Drown and Newlen.
Feeling comfortable with a 6-3 lead in the fifth, the guests found two more hits and a Torres RBI sacrifice fly to make the score 7-3, as Albion embarked on their comeback journey.
Three runs in the bottom of both the fifth and sixth innings allowed Albion to take the lead. Heidelberg had a two-run lead after the sixth, but Albion capitalized on an early 'Berg error. A sacrifice fly eventually sealed the fate of the visitors as they were unable to get the runner on first back home and fell 9-8.
Heidelberg softball will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Defiance for a double header with a 3 p.m. start.
