A pair of one-run contests went against Spring Hill College to start the 2019 softball season as the Badgers fell to Montevallo, 5-4, and Shorter, 9-8 (9) at the Gulf Coast Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday evening.
Game One: Montevallo 5, Spring Hill 4
The Badgers battled back to tie the game with a run in the seventh, but Montevallo scored in the bottom of the inning to take the win in the season opener for SHC.Â
Things started off well for the Badgers as
Hannah Brenton's two-run homer to left pushed SHC in front in the top of the second. Montevallo tied the score up with a two-run single in the bottom of the frame.
SHC took the lead again an inning later thanks to
Carlisle Jamison's RBI single that plated Hannah Filmore. The Falcons again responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, 3-3.
UM used a sacrifice fly to take its first lead of the game in the fifth, but Spring Hill came off the deck with a run in the top of the seventh to tie the score. After a throwing error and a bunt single gave the Badgers two runners on to start the inning,
Carmen Byrd's sacrifice bunt moved both runners up 60-feet with one out in the inning. Pinch hitter
Caroline Hart came through with a sacrifice fly one batter later to score
Kaycie Saxton, tying the score, 4-4.
In the bottom of the inning, however, Montevallo would score on a one-out single, giving the Falcons a 5-4 win.
Baylie Doiron started in the circle for SHC, allowing six hits and four runs in five innings of work. Brenton (0-1) took the loss in relief, allowing a run on two hits.
Game Two: Shorter 8, Spring Hill 7 (9 innings)
Another one-run decision would go against the Badgers Friday as Shorter rallied with three runs in the seventh to tie the game before winning in extra innings, 8-7.
Shorter went on top in the first with an unearned run, but the Badgers bounced back to tie the game an inning later. Jamison singled back up the middle with two out in the frame, scoring
Sarah Johnson and knotting the game, 1-1.
The Badgers (0-2) went on top in the home half of the fourth thanks to more two-out hitting. With runners on first and second and two gone in the inning,
Elise Caruso singled into center, scoring
Morgan Kramer to make it 2-1.
SHC took advantage of a pair of hits and a pair of wild pitches to stretch theÂ
lead to three in the fifth.
Delaney Thomas singled with one out, then gave way to pinch runner
Brittany Hartung. Two batters later, Johnson would single to third, putting runners on the corners. Johnson moved to second on a wild pitch, then was swapped with
Kaycie Saxton on the bases. A wild pitch would then bring home Hartung, with Saxton moving to third. As
Tiffany Fairchild walked, the fourth ball to her went to the backstop, allowing Saxton to score to make it 4-1.
A two-run home run drew Shorter closer in the sixth at 4-3, but the Badgers came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Hannah Fillmore drove in
Randa Day with a single to make it 5-3, then
Aly Fowler's sacrifice fly plated Thomas to make it 6-3 heading into the seventh.
Unfortunately for the Badgers, a three-run Shorter homer with one out in the seventh would tie the game, 6-6. SHC was kept off the board in the bottom of the inning, so the game went to extras.
With the International Tiebreaker Rule in effect, both teams would score in the eighth inning. SHC's run came when Thomas grounded out to second to bring home
Carmen Byrd, who was placed on second to start the inning. Shorter would score in the ninth to take an 8-7 lead, and the Badgers would get the potential winning run on base, but a double play ended the contest with Shorter taking the 8-7 win.
Brenton worked 6.1 innings in the circle to start for SHC, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits. Kramer (0-1) worked the final 2.2 innings for the Badgers, allowing two unearned runs and striking out three batters.
The Badgers will be back in action tomorrow in Gulf Shores as they take on Delta State, #11-ranked Alabama-Huntsville, and 22-ranked Valdosta State. First pitch against Delta State is slated for 9 a.m.
