Defending Wolverine Conference West Division champion Coloma suffered a split with Dowagiac Friday.

The Comets took advantage of six Chieftain errors in winning the opening game 9-3.

Dowagiac rebounded to take the nightcap 1-0.

In the second game, the Chieftains scored on a leadoff walk to Megan Huey, a sacrifice bunt by Hannah Whitaker and a single up the middle by Taylor Hullett.

Dowagiac was able to hold off a Coloma rally in the top of the seventh by cutting down a runner at the plate. Catcher Megan Soderbloom corralled a past ball in time to toss it to Hulett who was covering the plate.

“We had a horrible first game after the first inning,” Dowagiac coach Mike Behnke said. “We made some defensive mistakes and took some bad swings and started to feel sorry for ourselves and Coloma just kept putting it on us.

“I challenge the girls before the second to forget about what happened and show me what kind of players they are and they responded. We played error-free softball including getting two outs at the plate and got a timely hit with a runner in scoring position. That’s what it tames to beat a good team like Coloma.”

Hulett tossed a four-hitter in the second game with eight strikeouts to improve to 6-1 on the season.

Dowagiac got two of its four hits from Soderbloom.

In the opening, Dowagiac finished with eight hits, including two each from Riley Daly and McKenzie Herter.

 

COLOMA 9-0, DOWAGIAC 3-1

First Game

Coloma           113     202     0 – 9 10 0

Dowagiac        300     000     0 – 3 8 6

Madi Rye (W) and Morgan Wagner; Megan Soderbloom (L, 3-1), Sabrina Ruiz (5) and Mickie Kiggins

2B: Kristin Potter (C)

3B: Kayla Yore (C)

 

Second Game

Coloma           000     000     0 – 0 4 1

Dowagiac        000     010     1 – 4 0

Taylor Hulett (W, 6-1) and Megan Soderbloom; Skylar Crisenbery (L) and Morgan Wagner

2B: Soderbloom (D), Hulett (D)