[Softball] Softball Edged in GPAC Opener
Doane Softball opened GPAC play on Saturday as they hosted Mount Marty in Crete. The two games of the doubleheader were pitchers' duels, with timely hitting giving the Lancers a sweep of the Tigers, 4-3 and 3-2.
In the opener, Mount Marty was able to keep the pressure on the Tiger defense by putting the leadoff batter on base in five of the seven innings played. In the opening inning, a two-out error allowed the Lancers to strike first. The Lancers added to their lead in the 2nd inning with a two-out single to go up 2-0.
Doane battled back to take the lead in the 3rd inning with back-to-back RBIs with two outs. Megan Elliott (SO/Simi Valley, Calif.) brought in the first Tiger run with a bases loaded walk to cut the lead in half. Shelby Downard (JR/Marysville, Kan.) followed with a two-run single to give Doane a 3-2 lead.
The Tigers held the lead until the 6th inning when the Lancers picked up a pair of RBI-singles to regain the lead. Doane was able to get the tying run at second base in the 7th inning but a snow cone catch by the Lancers' first baseman took away a potential game-tying hit.
Downard threw a complete game in the circle for Doane, throwing 168 pitches. She allowed nine hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out five. Angela Esqueda led the Tigers with two hits in the game as the team had seven.
In the second game, the Tigers received another complete game effort in the circle as Emily Haines (SO/Folsom, Calif.) threw 110 pitches. She allowed three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.
Mount Marty scored the first runs of the game with two players crossing the plate in the 3rd inning. Doane chipped into the Lancer lead with a run in the 4th inning as Elliott singled to plate Alicia Vint (JR/Onalaska, Wash.). The Lancers were able to get a run back in the 5th on a two-out single to take a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 5th, Elliott would deliver a bases loaded sacrifice fly to cut the lead down to one run but the Tigers would strand two runners in scoring position to end the inning. Doane was able to get the tying run on base in the 6th and 7th innings but was unable to get the run across. Elliott finished with two of the team's six hits.