(Tucson, Ariz.) – The Dickinson softball team went extra innings to overtake Alfred University, 7-6, on Tuesday. The Saxons won 27 games in 2012, finishing 27-14 last season.
Each team scored an unearned run in the first inning. Casey Ditzler (Cleona, Pa./Annville-Cleona) reached on a walk and scored on a double from Denise Haines (Green Lane, Pa./St. Pius X), after moving to second on a passed ball.
Alfred capitalized on another Devil miscue in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Rachel Guszick was hit by a pitch in both the fourth and fifth innings, and came in to score both times to stretch the Saxon advantage to 4-1.
The Red Devils came alive in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring five runs to take a 6-4 lead. Haines added three more RBIs with a double as Dickinson recorded five hits in the inning.
Alfred pushed across a pair of unearned runs in the top of the seventh to pull even, 6-6. Using the international tie-breaker, the Devils scored in the bottom of the eighth to capture the win. Sophomore Megan O'Neill (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) started on second base and moved to third on a single from Becca Garlinger (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro).
After Garlinger stole second, first-year Stacie Maring (Woodbine, Md./South Carroll) reached on an error as O'Neill came in to score the game-winning run.
Micki Crouch (Alexandria, Va./Bishop Ireton) scattered three hits over three innings before Chelsea Homa (Newton, N.J./Newton) came on to earn the win, recording six strikeouts over four and two-thirds innings.
Haines finished the day, 3-for-4 with four RBIs, two doubles and a run scored while Garlinger went 3-for-3 with a double in the second inning. Senior Melissa Osborn (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) added a pair of hits on the day and Ditzler scored twice and drew a pair of walks.
The Red Devils improved to 4-3 overall, winning their fourth straight game.
The Red Devils had to turn around and face Texas Lutheran in their second game of the day. The Bulldogs took a 6-1 lead at the end of the fourth inning and tacked on six runs in the top of the seventh for a 12-1 decision.
Texas Lutheran led-off the game with back-to-back singles, scoring a pair of runs to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first. The Bulldogs pushed across two more in the third, using four hits, including a double from Hope Estes. Brittany Upton drove in two runs with a single in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-0.
Garlinger drew a lead-off walk to open the bottom of the fourth. She came in to score on an RBI single from first-year Nicole Piet (Robbinsville, Pa./Robbinsville).
Texas Lutheran tacked on six runs in the top of the seventh. The Bulldogs scored four runs on a double by Molly Gorie and a triple from Ashley Jacobsen.
Piet went 2-for-3 with the RBI in game two. Grace Edelson (Basking Ridge, N.J./Villa Walsh) went 2-for-3 in the nightcap as well.
The Red Devils stand at 4-4 on the season. They will face Southwestern University and take on Alfred again on Thursday.
