CLINTON, S.C. – The Morehead State softball team scored 19 runs and tallied 23 hits but still came up on the short end of its opening two games of the Blue Hose Invitational on Saturday at the PC Softball Complex in Clinton, S.C.
The Eagles played the first two of four Saturday games at tournament, beginning the day by falling 16-3 in five innings to Western Michigan and then battling down to the wire before dropping a 19-16 decision to Le Moyne.
MSU's offense was on fire as it recorded two doubles, one triple and four home runs over the two outings. No Eagle made a bigger first impression than junior catcher
Sydney Farmer, who finished the afternoon 6-for-8, with six runs and five RBI. She also had five of the team's seven extra-base hits.
In the outing with LeMoyne (1-2), the teams combined to score 35 runs, scoring in all but four of the 14 half innings. Eight of the nine Eagles to come to the plate had at least once hit, with seven of them scoring and six tallying an RBI.
Morehead State (0-2) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of that game. However, the Dolphins countered with nine runs in the top of the second and never relinquished the lead. The Eagles closed the gap to 9-8 in the bottom of the frame. Le Moyne added two more runs in the third and then tacked on seven in the fourth. MSU drew back within four by scoring four times in the fourth and once each in the fifth and six.
The Dolphins added an insurance run in the top of the seventh after a sacrifice fly, before the Blue and Gold closed out the outing courtesy of a two-run home run by junior second baseman
Sage VanDemark that literally bounced off the top of the foul pole.
In the bottom of the first, junior center fielder
Maddy Christopher led off with an infield single and sophomore left fielder
Sophie Collins reached on an error. Junior shortstop
Sela Pickford put the Eagles on the board after her single to left field to drive in Christopher. Two batters later, VanDemark singled to center to plate both Collins and Pickford. Senior first baseman
Jordan Donato singled left field to bring in VanDemark. Junior designated player
Kylie Mann capped off the scoring with a single just inside the right-field line to score Donato.
The Dolphins sent 14 batters to the plate in the second, collecting nine hits, including a pair of doubles. In the fourth, they began the inning with eight straight hits, before lining out into a double play.
In the bottom of the latter frame, the Eagles' offense returned. Pickford drew a one-out walk and then stole second. Farmer doubled to center field, scoring Pickford. VanDemark singled up the middle to plate Farmer. Sophomore third baseman
Victoria Spencer singled to right field. Later in the inning, Mann walked, senior right fielder
Taikibrea Campbell singled up the middle to drive in Donato (who had reached on a fielder's choice) and VanDemark as the Blue and Gold closed to within six at 18-12.
MSU got a pair of solo homers in the fifth and sixth, with Farmer's shot going over the fence in left with one out in the fifth and then Campbell leading off the sixth with a shot over the wall in right-center.
In the seventh, Farmer led off with a single to left field and VanDemark followed with her first career homer, but the Dolphins were able to retire the final three batters.
Farmer led the way in the game with a 4-for-5, four-run, four-RBI effort. Her two home runs tied a school record previously achieved 16 times. VanDemark was equally impressive by also going 4-for-5. She added five RBI and three runs. Pickford was 2-for-4, with two RBI and three runs. Donato finished 2-for-5, with two runs and an RBI; and Campbell added a 2-for-4, three-RBI, run-scoring performance. Christopher also recorded a hit and scored twice, while Mann and Spencer each added a single. Mann also drove in a run. Collins rounded out the offense by scoring a run.
Ten Le Moyne players recorded at least one hit, led by Maddie Martin with four. Ava Todd and Cianna Benamati each had three. Shannon Gavigan and Arianna Exarchakis topped the team with three RBI apiece. The team finished with 21 hits and also committed four errors. Eleven Dolphins accounted for their runs.
Junior
Ainsley Stubbs (0-1) got the start and faced 28 batters over three innings before yielding to freshman
Allicen Harris. Stubbs allowed 14 runs (all earned) on 13 hits, with two strikeouts and four walks. Harris finished the final four innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits. She also had two strikeouts and walked one.
Le Moyne used three pitchers. Isabella Kwashek pitched 1.1 innings, giving up seven runs (four earned) on six hits, with a strikeout and no walks. Danni Simpson (1-0) earned the win with two innings of relief work. She allowed four earned runs out of five, and four hits. She struck out two and walked one. Tatum Nessman got the save finishing the final 3.2 innings. All four runs she surrendered were earned. She also gave up seven hits. She had no strikeouts and two walks.
Morehead State began the day by dropping a four-and-a-half inning decision to Western Michigan (2-0). The Eagles scored once in the first, third and fifth; while the Broncos tallied five runs in the second, seven in the second and four in the third.
Christopher began the day by notching a one-out single in the first. She eventually scored on Farmer's at bat. MSU picked up its second run after Farmer's one-out triple to right-center field in the third. She came home on a fielding error.
In the fifth, Farmer doubled to left field to lead off the frame. She later scored on Spencer's single to right field.
Western Michigan tallied 11 hits and 15 RBI. Eight different Broncos had at least one hit. Emily Lampela had two home runs, a three-run shot in the second and a grand slam in the third. She finished the game 2-for-2, with eight RBI and two runs.
Senior
Rylie Burney (0-1) went the distance for the Eagles, with 15 of the 16 runs earned. She allowed 11 hits, struck out two and walked four in four innings. Hannah Potts (1-0) got the win. She pitched 3.2 innings, surrendering two runs (none earned) on four hits, with six strikeouts and one walk. Jadeyn Merrill pitched the final inning and a third. She yielded one earned run on two hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.
Morehead State returns for its final two games of the Blue Hose Invitational on Sunday. It will face Dayton (2-1) at 12:15 p.m. and then host Presbyterian (1-2) at 2:30 p.m.
