FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Indiana Tech softball team opened Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play against the University of Northwestern Ohio Wednesday afternoon and split the doubleheader at Warrior Park, winning game one in five innings, 14-6, before falling 5-3 in the second game of the day.
The Racers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Warriors responded by sending 14 batters up the plate in the bottom of the inning and pushing nine runs across the plate. Briana Glass kicked off the frame with a leadoff single before stealing second and third on consecutive pitches. A walk to
Ali LeNoue was followed up by two quick outs, though
Nicolle Sierra drove in Glass with an RBI ground out. A single up the middle by
Payton Robinson started a run of eight consecutive hits from Tech, including a three-run homer from
Ashley Alvey that put the hosts up 5-2.
UNOH used a leadoff triple to get a run back in the second to make it a 9-3 game, but a
Kari LaFreniere double was followed up with a sacrifice fly from
Amanda Shonka and a single form
Caitlyn Walter that extended the advantage to 11-3. The visitors cut the deficit to 11-6 after putting up a three-spot in the third, but a two-run homer from Robinson and a triple from LaFreniere, who scored on a wild throw from the outfield, gave the three runs right back to the hosts.
Ashley Alvey closed out the game for the Warriors by allowing just one base runner in 2.1 innings of relief work while she drove in a team-best three RBI along with Robinson.
The Racers came out strong in game two as they rattled off three hits in the top of the first to push two runs across the plate. The Warriors got on the board in the fourth as LeNoue came around to score on an RBI ground out from Robinson after starting off the inning with a double. An Alvey triple that kicked off the fifth was converted on a base hit from Walter to make it a 4-2 game. Tech had a golden opportunity to cut the lead down even more in the sixth as they trailed 5-2 and had runners at second and third with nobody out, but UNOH escaped the jam without allowing a run to score.
Glass reached base to leaf off the bottom of the seventh and came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Sierra to make it a two-run game and while the Warriors loaded the bases with two outs, they were unable to push any more runs across as the Racers salvaged the split to open conference action.
Tech (7-14, 1-1 WHAC) continues WHAC play this Friday as they travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a doubleheader with Cornerstone University. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. from the Cornerstone Softball Stadium.
