[Softball] Softball Splits with Saint Katherine
The Lady Hawks faced St. Katherine's College in a double header on a hot mid-week battle. SDC opened the scoring in the first with a Shelbi Evans home run and added another run in the second when Kendra Kuper doubled, advanced on Kaylyn Rubalcava's single, and scored on a fielder's choice. This gave the Lady Hawks a 2-0 lead.
Kuper (18-17), also the SDC starter, held the Lady Firebirds scoreless until the fourth, but back to back homers by Jena Chilson and Anik Ribera tied the game at 2-2. The only other offense against Kuper was a second solo homer by Ribera in the sixth.
The Lady Hawk offense generated 9 runs in the fifth and sixth to put this game away, 11-3, after six innings with the 8-run rule. In the fifth the big hit was a 3-run blast to left field by Jordan Neal, scoring Jojo Nicholas and Chelsea Cantwell. In the seventh, SDC sustained a rally that started with bases loaded off Alex Barajas and Rubalkava singles and a walk to Brenna Drake. Cantwell singled to score Barajas, and Desiree Alvarez brought in Rubalcava on a sacrifice fly. Drake scored on a wild pitch and Cantwell scored when Nicholas singled. After Neal reached on an error, Tori Harris cleared the bases with a 2 RBI triple to the wall in right center. The 8-run rule made this the final at bat of the game and the winning run scored with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
In game two, both teams started off hitting and each one scored five runs in the first two innings. With Ariel Rasmussen starting for the Lady Hawks, St. Katherine's got their first run off a Danielle Rothery ground rule double. They plated four more in the second on 2-out RBI singles by Miranda Gil and Rothery, and two wild pitches.
SDC picked up three of their five runs in the first when Tori Harris walked, stole second and scored on an Evans double. After Barajas walked and Rubalkava singled to load the bases, Sam Young drove in two runs with a single to left center. The two runs in the second came when Harris and Savoldi set the table with singles and Evans and Neal drove in runs with singles.
The Lady Hawks broke the 5-5 tie in the bottom of the fourth. This time Savoldi and Evans set the table with singles. Savoldi scored when Neal struck out, but reached first when the ball got away from the catcher. Evans scored when Rubalcava singled to left and gave the team a 7-5 lead.
The Lady Firestorm was able to have the last scoring of this game, however, as they struck for 3 runs in the sixth. Cassia Ruiz singled, DiBernardo walked, and a attempt at the plate on a ground ball was too late to get Ruiz. Gil drove in DiBernardo, and Rothery's sacrifice fly turned out to be the game winner. The split left St. Katherine's at 6-23 for the year and SDC finished the day at 18-19. Rasmusson (0-2) took the loss for SDC.
The Lady Hawks return to the diamond on Friday in a double header at 1 p.m. against conference foe, Hope International.