Box Score GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—After dealing with tough weather all day, the No. 2 seeded William Woods University softball team dropped game one of the 2014 NAIA Opening Round in Michigan, as the Owls fell 4-2 to host and No. 3 seed Davenport University.
It was tough for either team to find their groove through the first four innings of play, as there were three rain delays.
Before the first delay, it was the Panthers striking in the bottom first on Owls starter
MacKenzie Bowden, who was unusually wild to start the game, as the Hartsburg, Missouri, native, walked the first two batters she faced.
Leading RBI getter KC Dunne then came to the dish and put Davenport (37-8) up 2-0, with a single to left, scoring Amber Getty and Karli Myers.
In the top of the fourth, the Owls (39-16) got on the board, as
Emily Murphy, who has arguably been one of the top hitters for WWU as of late, singled to left, which scored senior
Lindsey LeCuru from second and now the team was down 2-1 after four innings of play.
The Panthers, however, took away the momentum from William Woods in the bottom of the fifth, as Getty hit a one out double to deep left-center to get things going. After Bowden got Myers to strikeout, it was Dunne striking again, this time with a two-run homer over the center field wall, which extended Davenport's lead to 4-1.
After a scoreless sixth inning for both squads, it all came down to the top of the seventh for WWU. Catcher
Macy Wierschem led the inning off with a walk, but Panther starter Emily Maves got the next two batters to fly out.
Sydnae Hatton kept the inning alive with an infield single, which brought the tying run to the plate. Freshman
Hannah Campbell smashed a double to left-center, scoring Wierschem and put runners on second and third, with the heart of the order coming up.
Maves, however, battled out of the threat, as she got the final batter to pop out and the Panthers were able to hold on for the two-run victory over WWU.
Bowden, who settled down after the multiple rain delays, took the tough loss, hurling six innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out five. On offense, the Owls totaled four hits, with Campbell,
Kacey Scharnhorst, Murphy and Hatton contributing one hit each.
Maves got out of a couple jams on the mound, as the hurler allowed just two runs on four hits and struck out three over seven innings of work. Dunne was the main factor offensively for the Panthers, as she went 2-for-3 with one run scored, one home run and three RBI.
With the loss, the Owls will now play the No. 4 seed Huntington University (Ind.), with first-pitch being thrown at 1 p.m.
Huntington (31-22), gave the No. 1 seed and No. 4 nationally ranked Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) all it could handle today, but it was ONU escaping with a 15-10 victory. After trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third, the Foresters scored six runs in the home half of the inning and took a shocking 7-2 lead.
That lead, however, was short-lived, as Olivet Nazarene scored seven runs in the top of the fifth and regained the lead 9-7. Huntington responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth and took a 10-9 lead, but the Olivet Nazarene's offense proved to be to much, as they scored four more in the sixth and two in the seventh and held on for the five-run victory.
The Foresters totaled 11 hits in the game and were led by Catherine DePew, going 3-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI. Bess Fietcher also contributed two RBI in the game, while five other players added one each.
On the season, the team holds a .334 avearge and are led by Annie Weavers' .450 average, while scoring 47 runs and adding 26 RBI. DePew is batting .379 on the year and stolen 12 bases, while Fiechter is hitting .357 in 50 games and totaled 30 RBI. The power in their lineup comes from Lindsey Shellabarger, who has hit nine home runs and totaled 43 RBI to go along with her .345 average.
On the mound, the pitching staff has a 3.88 ERA in 335.2 innings pitched and are led by Emily Puterbaughs' 2.35 ERA in 18 starts. She also has a team-high 10 wins and totaled 103 strikeouts in 110.1 innings pitched.
If the Owls come away with a win in that game, they will then play again on Tuesday night against the loser of the Davenport vs. Olivet Nazarene game.
Fans make sure to stay updated on wwuowls.com tomorrow night for full recaps and scores from Michigan.
