Late Inning Rallies Not Enough for the Berg

In the team’s doubleheader against Defiance College, the Heidelberg College softball team scored all but one of its 11 runs in the sixth inning or later. Unfortunately neither rally was enough to pull past the Yellow Jackets, and the Berg lost both games by way of an 8-7 defeat in eight innings and a 5-4 loss in seven. The losses bring Heidelberg’s record to 2-16 for the year, while Defiance rises to 8-7.

The scoreboard did not light up for either team until the seventh inning during the first game of the day. Defiance posted three runs in what should have been the final inning of the game by way of a homerun off the bat of Mallory Faling that scored runners from first and second base. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, the Berg decided to extend the game a little bit longer and drove three of its own runs home in the bottom of the inning.

Going into the eighth, the International Tie Breaker rule went into affect and Defiance took to the plate with Justine Johnston on second and number-eight batter Aarika Davis at the plate. Davis reached on a fielders choice, and both her and Johnston advanced a base due to a passed ball by ’Berg catcher Nikki Langendyk (Powell, Ohio / Olentangy). After to pop-ups to Heidelberg’s middle infield, Laurel Palk came to the plate and singled to drive in Johnston. Palk later scored on a throwing error by Langendyk for Defiance’s final run of the game.

Heidelberg hoped to rally big once again, but only managed to score one. It came in the form of an run batted in for Crystal Killoran (South Euclid, Ohio / Brush), who singled through the left side to drive in pinch runner Bobbi Kendeigh (Oberlin, Ohio / Firelands) from second. Kendeigh began the inning on two due to the ITB rule.

Overall for the first game, pitcher Katie Allenspach (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora) picked up the loss, but still aided her cause by going 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI. Jerrica Sweetnich (Garfield Heights, OhioGarfield Heights) and Andrea Gerdeman (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf) both also got two hits at the plate in four at bats, and recorded a double each.

The second game began with Defiance sliding Stephanie Lieto across the plate after a sacrifice fly to left by Kayla Crager. Heidelberg answered right back with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning thanks to a single through the left side by Ashley Foust (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora) that scored leadoff batter Coree Price (Prospect, Ohio / North Union) from third base.

The Yellow Jackets went onto to score two in the third and one in both the fourth and fifth to place them ahead 5-1. Heidelberg scored its second run of the game in the fourth and had four runners cross the plate in the sixth to take their first lead of the game, 6-5. The Berg thought they had won the game in the seventh when, with two outs already on the board, Defiance’s Laurel Palk chopped a grounder right in front of the plate and Heidelberg catcher Katie Curry (Delaware, Ohio / Buckeye Valley) chucked it down the line to first baseman Gerdeman. However, after a conference between the field and homeplate umpires it was ruled that Gerdeman pulled her foot off the bag and Palk was safe with a single. Defiance, exuberant from the call, rallied and sent three runners home before the inning finally ended. Heidelberg could not make up the difference and only scored one run in the bottom of the seventh resulting in the loss.

During the game, both Foust pounded out two doubles, while Sweetnich slugged on of her own. Foust also went 4-for-4 with three runs batted in. Nicole Bachman (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Memorial) suffered the loss on the mound, while Allenspach came in as relief for two innings.

For the day, Gerdeman led the Berg with 16 put outs, while Price contributed six assists.

Heidelberg hit the field again on Saturday, April 5, at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio. The Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.