PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Softball) – Allie Chapman (SR/Chesapeake, Ohio) through seven shutout innings, struck out five and helped her own cause with an RBI double, as the Shawnee State softball team earned a 2-0 victory before falling, 9-4, to St. Catharine College on Friday afternoon in a doubleheader split at Boone Coleman Field.
Chapman was masterful on the mound, working around seven hits and a walk while stranding seven Patriot runners aboard en route to the 83-pitch, seven inning victory.
The left-hander's counterpart, Krystal Cammuse was nearly as effective save for one inning, when the Bears used a pair of RBI hits – the first coming on Chapman's double – to take a 2-0 advantage. The two run lead was all Chapman would need, working around one hit in the final two frames to finish things out.
The lone scoring came for SSU in the fifth, when Andrea Kleinman (FR/South Point, Ohio) reached on a two-out walk. Chapman's double followed, and Kelsey Jenkins (SR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) added a single to left-center, plating the Shawnee State hurler.
The Bears got the win despite just four hits, as Hannah Dittoe (JR/Pickerington, Ohio) and Jenna Crawford (FR/Franklin Furnace, Ohio) each added knocks for the home squad. The win was the first in Mid-South Conference play since a 7-6 victory over Cumberland University on March 22.
In game two, SSU got on the board in the first inning, as Morgan McReynolds (FR/Covington, Ohio) doubled to the right-center field wall to bring home Jenkins who reached on a leadoff walk, and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Hannah Thacker (FR/Dry Ridge, Ky.) and third on a groundout from Dittoe.
St. Catharine scored for the first time of the day in the top of the third, setup by a leadoff bunt single – and subsequent error to move to second – from Brandy Hood. Tiffany Wickline followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and moved to second with a stolen base.
With two away, Shelbi Thornhill snuck a single down the third base line to plate both runners, and scored a batter later on a Krystal Cammuse single to left, pushing the SCC lead to 3-1.
Shawnee State responded in kind in the bottom of the frame, plating a pair of runs. With runners on first and second, Dittoe knocked in Jenkins with an RBI single, and Abbi Sparks (FR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) grounded out to plate another run, tying the contest at three after three-complete.
After a scoreless fourth frame, the Patriots re-took the advantage with a sacrifice fly from Cammuse and an RBI single from Emily Fenwick, taking a 5-3 lead.
The two squads traded runs in the bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth – Thacker scored on a sac fly from Heidi Hall (SO/Greenwich, Ohio) – before the Bears made it a one-run deficit with an RBI single from Jenkins to score Crawford in the bottom of the sixth.
Leading 6-5, St. Catharine put the game away in the top of the seventh with three insurance runs. All the damage was done on a three-run shot from Cammuse that sailed over the left field fence.
Alex Bowers (FR/New London, Ohio) took the loss for the Bears, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits. The freshman pitcher struck out seven and walked just one.
In the circle for St. Catharine, three pitchers shared the duties, as Brittany McKee earned the victory in three innings of work. Tiffany Wickline pitched the middle innings and Cammuse came on to finish things out in the seventh.
The Bears and Patriots are back at it for another doubleheader on Saturday at Boone Coleman Field. First pitch is slated for noon.
