CARLISLE, Pa. - The second-seeded Dickinson softball team allowed the visiting third-seeded Shorewomen of Washington College to score six runs over the opening three innings and were unable to dig out of an early 6-1 hole falling 7-5 on day one of the double-elimination Centennial Conference Tournament at Dickinson Park on Thursday afternoon.
Time of Game - 1:42
Pitching Decision
W - Lexie Barnhart (7-3) | L -
Riley Kuehn (11-4)
Inside the Game
The visitors immediately got on the board against Dickinson starter
Riley Kuehn as Alyssa Vieira and Lexie Witmer singled, while Gracelyn Goforth filled the bags with one away. After a flyout from Hannah Solge, Lexie Barnhart worked a 10-pitch at-bat ending with a three-run double to right-center. Jenna Harper then flew out to retire the side. The Red Devils had a quick response in the home-half with
Devon Kueny being plunked by Barnhart to begin the frame, before
Eden Blanker ripped a two-bagger out to left-center to cut it down to 3-1 through one. Washington added two more during the second thanks to singles from Lily Cook and Witmer along with a triple by Vieira bringing the margin to 5-1 and forcing Kuehn from the game and bringing
Lindsay Kucker into the circle. She allowed a single to Goforth to put two on, but got Solge to tap back to her for the last out. The Devils had a single from
Zoe Kleeblatt and a free pass to
Brooke Espenshade to give DC a chance to cut into the deficit, however a groundout and popout wrapped up the threat.Â
In the top of the third a single, error and wild pitch placed two runners in scoring position for Cook with one down. She would stretch the margin to 6-1 on a knock to left. Kucker then got a pair of grounders to retire the side. The Red and White chipped into the score during the home-half when with one gone, Blanker sent a "frozen rope" over the left-field wall. Two batters later
Abby Kohan singled down the left-field line, before Kleeblatt smoked a double to left-center plating one to make it 6-3 after three.
After both sides went "three up, three down" in the fourth, a DC miscue, sacrifice bunt and single up the middle from Cook pushed it to 7-3. The home-half of the inning went by without the Red and White mounting a rally. Dickinson then gave themselves a lifeline during the last of the sixth when singles from Kleeblatt and
Emily Whelan led to a sac bunt by Espenshade to have two in scoring position with one out.
Jen Klepfer then stepped into box as a pinch-hitter and grounded out to second to plate one. Kueny followed up with an RBI infield single to third to close within 7-5 going into the seventh. Unfortunately, for the Devils they were unable to get a runner beyond first during the frame to end the game.
The On-Deck Circle
Dickinson (23-14) will now head out to Collegeville to top-seeded Ursinus College on Saturday for the continuation of the Centennial Conference Tournament. The Red Devils will now face the host Bears in a "win or go home" game at 11 am. A win for the Red and White means another game later in the day, while a loss to UC would mean the end of the season for DC.
