Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SALEM, Va. – The IUP softball team wrapped up its two-day Virginia trip with another split Saturday, defeating West Virginia Wesleyan 4-3 before falling to West Liberty 4-3 in a 14-inning late night thriller.
The Crimson Hawks finished their weekend in Virginia with a 2-2 record, outscoring opponents 21-13.
Megan Risinger (Creekside, Pa./Marion Center) picked up the win in the circle in the opener, giving up just one earned run on eight hits in the complete game performance.
IUP opened up the scoring in the second inning with a two-run single off the bat of
Lauren Goetz (Cleveland, Ohio/Cuyahoga Heights). She drove in
Amanda Parrish (Dysart, Pa./Altoona) and
Megan Little (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford), who led off the inning with a pair of singles.
After Wesleyan picked up a run in the top of the third, the Crimson Hawks got one back in the bottom half with an RBI groundout by
Renee Wall (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights), scoring
Kaitlyn Beers (Reynoldsville, Pa./DuBois Area High School). Beers made it a 4-1 ballgame in the fourth inning with a double that drove in Goetz after a walk.
Wesleyan got back into it and made it a game in the sixth inning, scoring a pair of runs to cut IUP's lead to 4-3. Risinger rebounded with a ground out to end the threat and followed that with a 1-2-3 seventh inning to close out the win.
In game two, the Crimson Hawks fell behind with an early 1-0 West Liberty lead through two innings. IUP used plate discipline to take a 2-1 lead in the third, scoring two runs by drawing five straight walks. Wall and Parrish were credited with the RBIs.
West Liberty went back on top by one with a pair of runs in the sixth, but IUP came right back to tie things up at 3-3 with a solo homer by Goetz in the bottom of the sixth.
The game then became a standstill as it moved to extra innings, as neither team was able to add anything to the scoreboard. The Crimson Hawks stayed in it by cutting down three West Liberty runners at the plate until the Hilltoppers scored the deciding run in the 14th.
Risinger picked up the hard luck loss in game two, giving up one unearned run and tossing the final two innings of relief.
Brooklyn Kotula (Ambridge, Pa./Ambridge) got the start in the circle and didn't give up a run through two innings, giving way to
Lauren Zola (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) over the next 10. She struck out seven and gave up three earned on six hits.
Up next
IUP opens its time at The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida with a matchup with Augustana Monday at 4:30 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoftball.
