TUSCON, Ariz. - The Dickinson softball team began their 10-game Tuscon Spring Break trip on Sunday with a pair of hard-fought setbacks to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Coe College. Then, on Monday they battled all day against Rochester Institute of Technology and Concordia University (Wisc) to earn a split with the Tigers and Falcons.
Sunday
Game One - Engineers 4, DEVILS 2
Pitching Decision
W - Alexis Cooke (1-2) | L -
Abby Kohan (0-1)
Inside the Game
After a quiet first for both teams RPI threatened during the top of the second as an error, single and walk loaded the bags with one down for Sydney Speanburg. She would popout to Kohan for out number two, before Maddy Brooks struck out to retire the side. With one gone in the home-half of the frame
Jen Klepfer singled to left and advanced to third when the outfielder misplayed the ball. However, she was left 60-feet away as Laia Gwathmey and
Zoe Kleeblatt both went down on strikes to the end the inning. The Engineers put up three runs during the third as Erin Askins, Callista Adorno and Alex Ledger all doubled, while Gabby Comeau added a single to make it 3-0 still with one gone. Kohan settled down after that and got a groundout and pop-up to stopped the rally.
Jessie Sandusky and
Jane Lloyd both singled in the last of the third, but were unable to come home as Cooke recorded two popouts and had a runner caught stealing third to hold the margin at 3-0 going to the fourth.
Dickinson was on the board during the last of the fourth as
Paige Hahn started things off by reaching on an error. She was replaced on the bases by
Emma Varella who was retired trying to reach second when Kohan reached on a fielder's choice. After a lineout for Klepfer, Gwathmey earned a free pass to put two on for Kleeblatt who plated Kohan with a knock to right-center. However, the Red and White could not add anyone else as Kleeblatt was thrown out trying to steal second. DC cut the margin to one in the fifth as
Devon Kueny singled with one out, before scoring on a Lloyd triple to left-center making it 3-2 into the sixth.
Neither side could put anything together in the sixth and the score stayed 3-2 to the seventh. RPI put up the final run of the game in that frame when with two gone and a runner on second, Comeau smacked the Kohan pitch through the left-side to plate the runner. The Devils prevented any more damage by getting Ledger to flyout to Kueny in center for the final out. Brooke Sroczinski replaced Cooke in the circle for the home-half and set the Red and White aside in order to end the game.
Game Two - Kohawks 2, DEVILS 1
Pitching Decision
W - Ellie Thurow (3-0) | L -
Riley Kuehn (1-1)
Inside the Game
Dickinson was off and running in the first against Thurow as Kueny worked a leadoff walk, before coming in to score three hitters later when Hahn reached on an error by the right-fielder. The Devils couldn't aded anything else unfortunately as
Lindsay Kucker struck out swinging to retire the side. However, Coe had an immediate response during the home-half when a single for Heather Boeckenstedt and a passed ball against
Emma Glosson, led to a sacrifice bunt by Ruby Kappeler leaving a runner on third with one gone for Bree Mangelsen. She knotted the score by sending a single through the left-side. Kuehn then wrapped up the inning with a 6-3 double play against Madi Parson.
The Kohawks produced what amounted to be the final run of the game in the last of the third when with one away Nicki Wood smacked a solo homer over the left-field wall to make it 2-1. Kuehn setdown the ensuing two batters to retire the side. The pitchers were on full display the rest of the game as each pitcher allowed just one more hit over the remaining four frames with a groundout from Glosson in the top of the seventh wrapping up the game.
Monday
Game One - DEVILS 6, Tigers 0
Pitching Decision
W -
Lindsay Kucker (3-1) | L - Morgan Best (0-2)
Inside the Game
This game was all about Kucker in the circle for the Red and White as she went seven innings allowing just one hit and fanning six, while giving up three walks.
She was back by early offensive support from her teammates as a single for Lloyd and a three-bagger to right-center by Kohan gave DC a 1-0 lead against Best just three batters in. Hahn then followed with a sac fly to left to plate Kohan for the 2-0 edge through one. The Red and White made it 3-0 an inning later as Klepfer ledoff with a triple to right, before Glosson delivered a sacrifice fly to right to score the run. Walks handed out to Lloyd and Sandusky with two away would not come home as Kohan popped up to second retiring the side. Dickinson kept on the attack in the third as Hahn, Whelan and Kucker all reached, leading to run-producing hits for Glosson and Gwathmey as well as a sac fly by Lloyd to plate three more extending the advantage to 6-0 after three. The Red Devils offense went cold after that recording just two base runners the rest of the game, while Kucker setdown 12 of the final 13 she faced to lockdown the comfortable 6-0 shutout.
Game Two - No. 16 Falcons 3, DEVILS 1
Pitching Decision
W - Nicki Becker (3-0) | L -
Kaylie Renner (0-1)
Inside the Game
Concordia was out of the gates strong as a single for Sydney Erdmann and an error against Madi Wheat put two in scoring position with one out bringing Claudia Utz to the dish. She would groundout to second plating one, before Megan Bloyer drove home the second with a knock to center. Renner then got Ashley Zappa to whiff at strike three retiring the side. Kueny tried to begin a rally in the home-half with an infield single, but went no further as Becker setdown the next three she faced. Dickinson did make their way onto scoreboard during the last of the second as a walk to Sandusky and base hit by Kleeblatt put runners on the corners with no one out for Renner. With her at the dish Kleeblatt was caught stealing second, which allowed Sandusky to race home making it 2-1. Renner then flew out to center and Glosson was retired by the left-fielder to allow no more damage.
The Red and White posed a threat in the third with two-out singles by Lloyd and Kohan, unfortunately, Hahn grounded back to short for the final out. Renner gave up solo hits during the fourth and the fifth, but did not allow anything else as the first-year did a great job of keeping the nationally-ranked Falcons under wraps for much of the game. Concordia would however make their way back into the scoring column in the top of the seventh as a single, stolen base and sac bunt left one on third with one out. That set the stage for a sacrifice fly by Erdmann to push it out to 3-1 going to the Devils last chance. A leadoff two-bagger for Kleeblatt and a hit batter (Klepfer) put the tying runs on base with one out, however, Kucker struck out and Kueny flew out to end the game.
The On-Deck Circle
Dickinson (4-4) returns to play tomorrow at high noon to take on Wisconsin-La Crosse, before turning around and squaring off with Webster University at 2pm.
