Chieftains rally to split with Eddies
Published 10:14 pm Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Dowagiac’s Amanda Craft tags out Edwardsburg’s Rachel Borden. (Leader photo/SCOTT NOVAK)
A seven-run sixth inning lifted the Dowagiac softball team to a split with Edwardsburg Tuesday.
The Eddies won the opening game of the Wolverine Conference West Division doubleheader 5-2 and was leading 8-2 in the nightcap when the Chieftains exploded for seven runs.
Dowagiac used seven hits in the sixth, including a pair of singles by Mickie Kiggins.
Senior Amanda Craft singled home Riley Daly with the winning run.
Taylor Hulett picked up the win for the Chieftains, who also got a triple by Emily Roach.
Layne Stinnett had a double and a home run for the Eddies, who also got a home run from Bailey Thomas.
Kaley Frank homers for the Eddies against Dowagiac’s Sabrina Ruiz. (Leader photo/SCOTT NOVAK)
In the opener, Teryn Williams and Paige Freshour were both 2-for-3. Williams doubled and drove in two runs, while Kaley Frank added a two-run home run.
McKenzie Creed doubled for the Eddies.
Ali Strycker scattered five hits to earn the victory.
Hulett had a home run and Daly a double for Dowagiac.
“What a great comeback and win for our program,” In 10 years of varsity coaching, I have never had a team come back from six runs down in the last inning to win a game. The girls never gave up and really had some good at bats in the last inning ending with six straight hits. We were also down to our final strike with four batters and they were able to battle and get hits.
“It was nice to see senior Amanda Craft get the game winning hit She has struggled some lately, but she had better at bats today and you could tell she wanted to be in that position to drive in the winning run and she did. We can’t savor the win for too long though. We have a tough, hard hitting Brandywine team to play on Thursday.”
First game
Dowagiac 000 100 1 – 2 5 0
Edwardsburg 104 000 x – 5 8 1
Ali Strycker (W); Sabrina Ruiz (L)
2B: Riley Daly (D), Teryn Williams (E), McKenzie Creed (E)
HR: Taylor Hulett (D), Kaley Frank (E)
Second game
Edwardsburg 103 202 – 8 12 1
Dowagiac 010 017 – 9 13 1
Taylor Hulett (W); Delany Peters, Ali Strycker (L)
2B: Layne Stinnett (E)
3B: Emily Roach (D)
HR: Bailey Thomas (E), Stinnett (E)
Varsity records: Dowagiac 18-7, Edwardsburg 14-5
