’Berg Shakes Off Winter Chill; Allenspach Nabs No-Hitter

After having to delay its spring trip for three days due to weather, the Heidelberg College softball team split its first day of competition at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Pitcher Katie Allenspach (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora) led the team to its first win of the season against Emmanuel, who they beat 6-0, while throwing only the fourth no-hitter in the history of the program. The Berg’s second game did not go as well, unfortunately, and the team fell to Manhattanville 6-3.
 
The first game against Emmanuel started with Coree Price (Prospect, Ohio / North Union), the team’s lead off batter and shortstop, smashing a triple to right center. She was followed at the plate by first baseman Andrea Gerdeman (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Gladorf), who singled to knock in the first run of the year.
 
The game remained 1-0 until right fielder Ashley Foust (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora) hit a shot up the middle in the sixth to score second baseman Jerrica Sweetnich (Garfield Heights, Ohio / Garfield Heights). Price snagged her second RBI of the game when she singled and hit in Kella Lange (Medina, Ohio / Medina), who was pinch running for Allenspach, from second base. The seventh inning saw Heidelberg score three more runs to increase its lead.
 
For the game, Allenspach recorded seven strike outs against 25 batters in seven innings, while Foust went 3-for-3 and Bobbi Kendeigh (Oberlin, Ohio / Firelands) hit 3-for-4 at the plate. Kendeigh also stole Heidelberg’s lone base of the game.
 
Pitcher Nicole Bachman (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Memorial) made her debut for the Berg on the mound during the second contest. Though her nerves got to her early on, as she walked 14 of the first 22 batters she faced, she found her groove in the fourth, where she struck out two batters. Bachman and the defense kept the game a one-hitter, and Heidelberg’s offense worked hard to pull out of the 6-1 hole they had gotten into. Unfortunately, they ran out of innings and the game ended 6-3 in favor of the Valiants.
 
Designated player Crystal Killoran (South Euclid, Ohio / Brush) got the only extra base hit out of the four Heidelberg knocked during the second game. She hit a double in the fifth to drive in two of the team’s three runs.
 
The Berg continues in the tournament tomorrow, March 11, at 1 p.m. against Anderson and at 5 p.m. against Rhode Island College.