Titusville, Fla. – Shawnee State softball split a doubleheader with St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) on Tuesday at the Cocoa Beach Spring Training Classic, falling in game one 5-4 but winning game two 2-0.
Game One
Shawnee State would take an early lead in game one, scoring one run in both the top of the second and the top of the third. In the second, Maureen Wolansky (FR/Cleveland, Ohio) would single to lead off the inning, and move to second on Haley Rawlins (SO/South Point, Ohio)' bunt. Morgan Rearick (FR/Canal Fulton, Ohio) would drive in Wolansky with a two-out single to put SSU up 1-0. In the third, Ashtyn Saunders (SO/Lancaster, Ohio) would lead off by getting hit by a pitch. Saunders would move to second on a groundout and steal third base. Kayla Koch (SR/Lucasville, Ohio) would drive Saunders in with a sacrifice fly, putting Shawnee State up 2-0 after three innings.
Shawnee State would then add a run in the top of the fifth. Rearick would lead off the inning with a single, and would steal second base. Marisa Brown (JR/Liberty Township, Ohio) would then hit a two-out double to drive in Rearick. However, a dropped fly ball by Rearick in the bottom half of the inning would allow Hollie Jones to score, getting St. Mary-of-the-Woods on the board. Shawnee State led 3-1 after five innings.
Michal Cunningham (SO/Wheelersburg, Ohio) would extend the Shawnee State lead to 4-1 with her first career home runs, but the Pomeroys would rally in the bottom of the seventh to win. Kindra Gingerich would single to lead off the frame, and Rearick's throwing error would allow her to reach second. Jones would drive Gingerich in with a single and reach second on the throw to the plate. With runners at the corners, Kerri Schrock would single in Jones to cut the Shawnee State lead to 4-3. With two outs, an error by Wolansky would allow the tying and winning runs to score, dooming Shawnee State to defeat.
Christian Chambers allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings to get the win. Tatum Wise took the loss, allowing two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Game Two
Wise would rebound from allowing the winning run in game one with a brilliant game two. The freshman would throw seven scoreless innings, striking out nine to lead Shawnee State to the win.
Wise would also score the winning run as Shawnee State scored the only runs of the game in the bottom of the second. Wise led the inning off with a single, and advanced to second on a Mackenzie Riley (JR/Proctorville, Ohio) bunt. Haley Rawlins would then single in Wise to put SSU up 1-0, advancing to second on the throw. Michal Cunningham would then single in Rawlins, giving Shawnee State a 2-0 lead that would hold for the rest of the afternoon.
Kelsey Young took the loss for St. Mary-of-the-Woods, allowing two runs on three hits in three innings of work.
The split sees Shawnee State move to 5-2 on the season. St. Mary-of-the-Woods moves to 4-2.
Shawnee State softball is back in action on Wednesday, March 7 when they take on Martin Luther College (Minn.) and Carlow (Pa.) in their fourth day at the Cocoa Beach Spring Training Classic.
