Hinz Pitches 'Berg to the Win Column

Freshman right hander Briana Hinz (Madison, Ohio / Madison) threw a one-hitter to lead the Heidelberg University softball team to a 3-1 victory over Saint Benedict at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. on Tuesday.
 
The win marked the first for Hinz on the year, as was the first victory for first-year head coach Betsy Hada. Hada was named just the 10th coach in the history of the program in July.
 
Prior to the victory over Saint Benedict, Heidelberg nearly posted an upset win over Walsh University. The Berg fell 5-4 to the 2008 NAIA World Series participating institution and fellow Ohio school.
 
Against Saint Benedict, in the second inning, with two outs, Bobbi Kendeigh (Oberlin, Ohio / Firelands) reached base on an error and was followed by back-to-back singles from Andrea Gerdeman (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf) and Jessica Jennette (LaRue, Ohio / Elgin). Kendeigh would score on Jennette’s single. Sami Lindsey (Bakersfield, Calif. / North) followed suit with an RBI single of her own, knocking in Gerdeman to give the Berg a 2-0 lead.
 
Heidelberg answered with two outs once again in the sixth. Lindsey reached on another Saint Benedict error and rounded the bases to score two batters later courtesy of a Katharine Whittaker (Buford, Ga. / Buford) single.
 
HInz pitched a no-hitter through six innings. Saint Benedict had its lone hit of the game to lead off the seventh. Following two fly outs, the leadoff runner crossed home plate on a Heidelberg miscue to bring the final score to 3-1.
 
Picking up hits in the win was Lindsey, Katie Allenspach (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora), Whittaker, Gerdeman and Jennette. Hinz finished with two strikeouts on the day.
 
The day opened for the Berg with a hard fought 5-4 loss to NAIA foe Walsh. Heidelberg went down 4-0 after three innings. In the fourth, Whittaker reached the base paths on a walk and reached second on a Crystal Killoran (South Euclid, Ohio / Brush) single. Allenspach pulled the Berg within 4-1 with an RBI single.
 
Heidelberg scored two more runs in the sixth with back-to-back home runs from Whittaker and Killoran to cut its deficit to one, 4-3. It was the second straight game that Whittaker had a home run. Following the home run derby, Allenspach reached base on a hit and Kella Lange (Medina, Ohio / Medina) took over as a pinch runner. Jessica Thoms (Amherst, Ohio / Firelands) moved Lange to second on a sacrifice bunt and Lange took third and then home on passed balls to knot the game at 4-4.
 
Walsh scored on a Heidelberg error in the bottom of the sixth with two outs to post the eventual game-winning run. Heidelberg threatened with a runner on third in its final at bat, but could not cross home plate.
 
Finishing with two hits apiece was Killoran and Allenspach, while Whittaker had one hit. On the mound, Dana Thoms (Amherst, Ohio / Firelands) pitched a complete game, striking out four, while giving up just six hits.