DANVILLE, Ky. – Six home runs from the Lindsey Wilson offense proved too much to overcome for softball as Shawnee State was eliminated from the MSC Tournament with a 15-8 defeat at the hands of the top-seeded Blue Raiders (45-8). The Bears finish the conference tournament at 1-2 overall after a victory against St. Catharine to start the day Friday.
Shawnee State got off to a great start as three Lindsey Wilson errors allowed the Bears to jump out to a 3-0 lead after a half inning. Kelsey Jenkins (JR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) reached on a walk to start the game. She was bunted into scoring position by Holly Brabson (SR/Piketon, Ohio). The Blue Raiders then helped the Bears' cause with back-to-back errors. Kirsti Yates (SR/Chillicothe, Ohio) singled home the second run of the inning, while the third run came across on the final LWC error of the frame.
However, Lindsey Wilson bounced right back with four runs in the bottom half of the frame. The Blue Raiders got three straight hits to start the game. The third would be the first of two home runs from Kristina Krupinksi. After another two hits scored the fourth Blue Raiders' run of the inning with one out, the Bears brought Allie Chapman (JR/Chesapeake, Ohio) out of the bullpen. She would get the only two batters she faced in the inning.
In the top of the second, it was Shawnee State's turn to answer. Heidi Hall (FR/Greenwich, Ohio) started off the inning with a single, but found herself at second base with two outs. Barrett and Dittoe each singled with Dittoe's hit bringing home the first run of the inning. Yates would then hit a two-run double into the right centerfield gap, giving the Bears a 6-4 lead after the top of the second.
From there, the Lindsey Wilson proved too much to keep up with. Lindsey Wilson starter Jordan Hood did the damage at the plate in the bottom of the third to give her team an 8-6 lead with a two-run blast over the left field fence.
The Bears threatened in the top of the fourth with three straight singles in the top of the fourth from Jenkins, Brabson and Barrett. Despite the promise of retaking the lead, SSU would not score a single run in that inning. In the bottom half of the frame, Bailey Mize and Amber Goedde went back-to-back on their home runs. Mize's home run was also a two-run shot as the Blue Raiders led 11-6 after four innings.
The Bears went to their third pitcher of the game in Tara Prater (SR/Hilliard, Ohio) to start the fifth inning. Nevertheless, that switch in the circle did not slow the LWC bats as Andrea Whelan blasted a home run over the centerfield fence to make the score 13-6 after five full innings.
Shawnee State scored two final runs in the top of the sixth as Brabson walked and Barrett singled to put two on with one out. The Bears would score twice as Yates drove home one on an RBI single, while an RBI double from Tara Duncan (FR/Lancaster, Ohio) made the score 13-8 heading to the bottom of the sixth. Once again, Lindsey Wilson scored as it added two more runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth to close the scoring in the 15-8 game.
With the loss, the Bears finish the year at 26-24 overall. Today's game also marked the final games in the careers of Barrett, Brabson, Prater, and Yates.
