The Westminster softball team dropped both games at day two of the Warrior Spring Fling hosted by Hendrix College. The Westminster Blue Jays faced #8 nationally ranked Washington University first, falling 12-3 in five innings. In game two of the day, they faced the Hendrix College Warriors and lost 8-7. The Blue Jays leave the tournament and start the season with a 1-3 record.
Washington University
The first two and a half innings flew by as just two runners made it to first base. In the bottom of the third, the Washington University Bears put up three runs with a triple and a single.
Bear's errors landed two Blue Jays on base with junior Erica Burney up to bat. Burney hit a home run to left center, bringing in the other two runners and knotting the game at 3-3.
The Blue Jay defense struggled in the fourth inning, drawing a pitching changed after the Bears scored four runs. The Bears added five more runs before sophomore Leah Holthaus struck a batter out to end the inning. The Bears then held a 12-3 lead over the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays had to score in the bottom of the inning or the Bears would short-game them. With two outs, freshman Whitney Mitchhart bunted and made it to first, but she was left stranded on base as the final out came off a strikeout.
The Blue Jays managed just two hits in the five innings. Burney recorded a home run and three RBI.
Freshman Maddie Coffin was credited with the loss. She pitched 3.1 innings. Holthaus came in as relief and pitched the final .2 of an inning.
Hendrix College
Hendrix scored first in the game with three runs in the bottom of the second. Junior Alyson Hahn brought in two runs in the top of the fourth with a two RBI single to center field, bringing the score to 3-2. Freshman Kaylin Calton then doubled to center field, moving Hahn to third, but a ground out ended the inning with the two stranded on base.
In the top of the fifth, Burney homered to center field, bringing in the two base runners and taking a 5-3 lead.
Hendrix brought in one run in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth to tie the game at 5-5.
The Blue Jays had two outs in the top of the seventh, by freshman Caty Barrett doubled to right center, bringing in two runs. The inning came to a close with a ground out to short stop with three stranded on base, but the Blue Jays held a 7-5 lead.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Hendrix scored two runs to tie up the game. Sophomore Amber Tepen in left field caught a pop fly to give Hendrix their second out with bases loaded, but the next batter hit a single up the middle, scoring an unearned run and ending the game, 8-7.
The Blue Jays out-hit Hendrix 13-10. Tepen went 3-for-5 from the plate. Holthaus, junior Anne Baker, and Calton each recorded two hits.
Hahn (0-2) was credited with the loss on the mound. She pitched the complete game and struck out three.
The Blue Jays see the field next at their home-opener on Saturday, March 5, as they host Stephens College for a doubleheader. First pitch is at 1:00 pm.
