BEXLEY, Ohio – The Wilmington College softball team fell victim to consecutive walk-off hits as Capital University defeated the Fightin' Quakers 3-2 and 4-3 in eight innings in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.
In game one, Wilmington loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning, but an infield fly and a double play results in no Quaker runs scoring. An Erica Odgen home run in the bottom of the second would be the only runs scored in the fourth for innings for either team.
In the top of the fifth, KenDahl Bowles tied the game with an RBI-single down the right field line after Mariah Huff drew a walk, was pinch run for by Ali Dixon who was bunted over to scoring position by Micalah Hensley. Still with only one out in the inning, a strikeout, throw out double play ended the inning. The Crusaders rode that momentum to regain a one-run lead on a two-out, RBI-single from Chevonne Hayslett down the left field line.
Trailing 2-1, Wilmington once again loaded the bases with no outs in the six as Megan Crager, Hayley Suchland and Alecia Kemp all singled. An Allison Pierce sacrifice fly scored Crager to level the game 2-2, but Capital once again danced out of more damage with a lineout and a flyout.
The Quakers would get runners on the corners with one out in the seventh, but Hensley was thrown out at home attempting to score on a flyout. Kristen Mellott delivered the walk-off single in the bottom of the inning.
Hayslett earned the win allowing two earned runs on seven hits in the complete-game victory. Grace Shell dipped to 9-5 with the loss allowing three earned runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings pitched.
The top of Wilmington's lineup – Crager, Suchland and Kemp – had two hits each to combine for six of the Quakers' seven hits. Ogden was the lone Crusader to record a multi-hit game.
In game two, it was Wilmington's turn to take the lead early as Crager and Suchland stayed hot by leading off the game with consecutive doubles. Two batters later, Huff launched her first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left center, that put the Quakers up 3-0.
Capital would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the first and eventually tied the game with two runs in the fifth after Wilmington, which got a runner in scoring position in each of the first five innings, couldn't add to its lead. Hayslett, hit a walk-off home run to center field with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Hayslett earned her second win on the day while Shell suffered her second loss. Both pitchers, who started in game one, were the pitchers of record in relief in game two.
Huff and Bowles both finished with two hits while Alyx Slusher tallied a 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored.
Wilmington (17-11, 5-9 OAC) travels to the University of Mount Union on Friday.
