Softball Results: March 26
FAIRFIELD 5, NORTHWOOD 1
NorthWood mustered just four hits in a loss Tuesday against it’s neighbors to the east.
The Falcons built a five-run lead on the Panthers, starting with two runs in the first on three straight hits from Bobbie Freese, Sara Shank and Chloe Dell, whose double brought in Freese and Shank for the early lead.
Doll added a sacrifice fly and Brooke Sanchez cracked a two-run homer for the Falcons.
Gracie Clark had NorthWood’s lone RBI on a single that scored Morgan Jenkins in the sixth. Clark had two of NorthWood’s six hits, Jenkins had a double and Lily Lomeli, Grace Anglemeyer and Madison Miller each had a base hit.
Kristin Miller worked five innings of relief of Mackayla Stutsman to get the win for Fairfield. Miller allowed just two hits and the Clark RBI over her workload. Madison Miller lost her second start of the season, going all seven innings, giving up 10 hits and striking out three.
NorthWood (1-2) takes on Lakeland Thursday, the Lakers coming to Nappanee fresh off wins over Wawasee and Northridge this week.
WEST NOBLE 12, WAWASEE 8
West Noble earned a road win over its Sectional 21 rivals.
The Chargers collected 17 hits in the win, led by six hits and five runs scored by Jaden Hanna and Lily Nelson. Amelia Shull, Tori Franklin, Kourtnie Jones and Taytlynn Forrer all had two hits and two RBI in the victory.
Wawasee stats were not immediately reported.
In the JV contest, Wawasee won a slugfest 19-16. Wawasee (1-1) whacked 23 hits in the game, getting multiple hits from Ciandra Ervin, Allie Slone, Autumn Conners, Laney Gross, Amari Peete, Natalie Christian, Katy Flannery and Adrie Yoder.
Wawasee (1-2) will continue its pre-Spring Break calendar Thursday at Elkhart Central.
SPRING ARBOR 6, GRACE 5
GRACE 7, SPRING ARBOR 6
Grace’s softball team and Spring Arbor split a pair of one-run games on Tuesday.
In the opener, the Cougars (11-9, 4-4 Crossroads League) came from behind to win 6-5 in extra innings. But the Lady Lancers (6-15, 2-7 CL) found revenge with a tightly contested 7-6 victory to end the day.
The teams could barely find separation in the opening game; neither side led by more than one run for the entirety of the contest.
Grace took a 2-1 lead in the second inning thanks to a two-out, two-run single by Emily Bobb. SAU countered with two runs in the bottom of the second for a 3-2 lead.
The Lady Lancers produced another two-out rally in the fourth. Sam Heim’s two-out double brought in Andrea Castillo and Bobb.
But Grace’s lead was short-lived as the Cougars tied the score 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth.
Neither team was able to cross home plate for the next three frames, sending the game to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Castillo hit a two-out double to give Grace a shot. Head coach Sarah Harman called on Hannah Harless to pinch hit, and she delivered. Harless’s single allowed Castillo to slide home safely from second base for a 5-4 lead.
The Cougars responded aptly in the bottom of the eighth; SAU took advantage from a pair of Grace miscues to win a walkoff 6-5.
Heim hit 3-for-4 from the leadoff position with two doubles and two RBIs, Castillo was 2-for-4 with two runs, and Bobb was 1-for-3 with one run and two RBIs.
Grace seemed to dominate the second game, outhitting SAU 13-5. But the Lady Lancers committed four errors in the field to keep the game close.
The Cougars managed to push one run across in the first and second innings, but the Lady Lancers were not fazed. In the top of the second, Bobb drove in Castillo with yet another two-out RBI.
Grace then erupted with six runs in the third. The Lady Lancers quickly loaded bases with a double by Jessica Kaurich to go along with a walk and a single. Natalie Klingberg produced a pinch-hit single to score one run, and Taylor Asher cleared the bases with a three-run double to right-center field.
Later in the inning, Bobb executed a well-placed squeeze bunt to score Asher, and Olivia Scarbrough doubled to score Heim.
Grace held that 7-2 cushion until the bottom of the fifth. The Cougars set up a nervy finish to the game with four runs in the fifth; Grace had two errors in the inning to help make the score 7-6.
Dori Knight came in to relieve Heim on the mound for the final two innings, and the sophomore hurler did her job. Knight retired six of the seven batters she faced to pick up the save.
Heim earned the win by going five innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs to score with five strikeouts. She also hit 2-for-4 with a double and a run from the plate.
Castillo batted 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base, and Bobb was 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
Kaurich doubled twice and drove in a run, Scarbrough hit 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Asher finished 1-for-4 with one run and three RBIs.
The Lady Lancers will end the week with a pair of road matchups. Grace plays at Huntington on Friday and at Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Saturday.