Softball Extends Win Streak to 8 With a Couple of High-Scoring Battles

(Wichita, KS) – While they ended up on the winning side of game one, Hastings faced trouble early on as Peru State dominated with seven runs in the second inning, taking an early lead of 7-0. 

Moving into the third inning, Peru State added another run due to an error, extending their lead to 8-0. However, Hastings fought back in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs and narrowing the gap to 8-4. Sophomore Kaylee Pinneo's single to left field brought in an RBI, advancing senior Lauren Schneider to second and allowing senior Isabel Tanabe to score. Junior Lauren Lee's double to left center resulted in two RBIs as Pinneo and Schneider crossed the plate. Junior Ana Medeiros' double to left center brought in another run as Lee scored. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Hastings scored two more runs, bringing the score to 8-6. Pinneo's double to right field resulted in two RBIs, with seniors Shey Storesund  and Nicole Halsey scoring.

In the top of the fifth, Peru State added another run due to an error by Hastings, making it 9-6. The bottom of the fifth saw Medeiros hit a homer to left field, bringing in another run for Hastings, making the score 9-7. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Hastings made a comeback with three runs. Senior Lexie Mudloff was hit by a pitch, bringing in an RBI as freshman Sofia Carroll advanced to second, Lee advanced to third, and Pinneo scored. Junior Sam Skinner's single to left field brought in another RBI as Mudloff advanced to second, Carroll advanced to third, and Lee scored. Storesund reached first base on an error by the shortstop, bringing in another run as Carroll scored. It was a comeback Bronco win with the final score being a 10-9 walkoff. 

Pinneo was 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Medeiros and Halsey both had two hits. Senior Angelina Lockhart pitched five and a third innings of relief, allowing just two earned runs on four hits to get the win.

Tanabe began game two with a walk and stolen base, then advanced to third on a groundout. Pinneo walked and Lee ground ball scored a run to put Hastings ahead 1-0. In the second inning, Mudloff walked and swiped second and third, then after a walk to Skinner, junior Katyn Kappler's sac fly scored Mudloff. With two on and two out, Schneider ripped an RBI single to center field to go up 3-0.

Ottawa made it a 3-2 game by hitting back-to-back RBI doubles in the third after a single began the inning. Hastings came back with four in the fourth with Schneider hitting an RBI double with one on and two out, then after Pinneo singled in Schneider, Lee blasted a two-run homer over the center field wall to go up 7-2.

The Braves got three runs back in the fourth on a bases-loaded double to left to get within two runs, but the Bronco offense stayed red-hot with a four-run fifth. One-out singles by Skinner and Kappler set the table for Storesund, who doubled to right to score a run. With two out and runners on second and third, Kappler and Storesund both took off, scoring Kappler in the process. Shortly after, Schneider singled in Storesund to go up 10-5. Pinneo doubled to left and after a pitching change and walk to Lee, Medeiros brought in run number 12 on a single to left field to go up 11-5.

Ottawa came back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out, two-run RBI single. After a scoreless sixth, Schneider led off the seventh with a double and after a single and popout, Medeiros singled to center to bring home Schneider, going up 12-7.

The bottom of the seventh got interesting quickly, as Ottawa got a runner on first by error with one out. A double put two runners in scoring position and one scored on an infield single. Ottawa scored on a steal of home to make it 12-9, then an RBI double and RBI single made it 12-11. Junior pitcher Bailey Schmit got out of the jam by getting the Braves on a couple of flyouts to end the game.

Schneider was 4-5 in the game with three RBIs and three runs. Pinneo was 3-4 with an RBI and two runs, while Medeiros was 3-5 with two RBIs.

Hastings will next take on Avila University tomorrow at 12:20pm at Wichita, KS in the Friends Tournament, followed by Mayville State at 2:30pm.