Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Wright State softball team extended its winning streak to five with a sweep of Butler in Horizon League action Tuesday afternoon in Indianapolis, winning the first game 2-1 in nine innings and taking the second game 6-3.
Butler scored an unearned run in the third and it looked like that would be the final score as Jenny Esparza shut out the Raiders over the first six innings, striking out 12 during that stretch.
In the seventh, however, WSU produced a run to tie the game and send it into extra innings. With one out, pinch-runner Briauna Birl advanced to second on a hit to left off the bat of Kristen Bradshaw. Jamie Perkins and Allison Cox then drew back-to-back walks to force in Birl with the tying run.
It stayed that way until the ninth when the Raiders pushed across the winning run. Perkins and Cox had one-out singles, but China Frost was retired on a fielder's choice. Justine Shilt, though, kept the inning alive with a walk and the run scored as Malerie Klingler reached on an error.
Cox picked up the win with five shutout innings of relief, scattering three hits, while Melanie Heyne threw the first four frames, giving up just two hits and the unearned run.
Wright State carried that first-game momentum into the second, scoring four times in the first. Haney doubled to right center with one out and both her and Perkins, who walked, moved up a base on a passed ball. Frost followed with a hit to left center to drive in Haney and Shilt singled to right to drive in Perkins. The final two runs came in on a Mollie Berry RBI hit and a bases-loaded walk to Birl.
The Raiders scored an unearned run in the third, only to see Butler cut the margin to 5-2 with solo home runs from Annie Dolan and Bridget Paine. WSU, though, scored a run in the sixth as Klingler had a hit to right center, advanced to second on a Birl bunt and came in on Bradshaw's double to left.
The Bulldogs tallied a run in the sixth and loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Devin Dearling lined out to Haney at third to end the game.
Cox (6-3) earned her second win of the day with 3.2 innings of scoreless relief while offensively, Haney, Frost and Shilt each had two hits.
Wright State (18-22-1, 9-5 Horizon) and Butler wrap up the series with a single game Wednesday at 3:00.
