Softball team loses 5-4 in 8 innings to Finlandia
The softball team fell to Finlandia University, 5-4, in eight innings this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was called off due to the extreme cold weather and high winds.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College softball team fell to Finlandia University, 5-4, in eight innings this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was called off due to the extreme cold weather and high winds.
Finlandia plated an unearned run in the third inning. Olivet tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the fifth inning. Senior Jenny Robbins (Fenton) hit a two-out triple that just landed fair down the third base line and then scored on a wild pitch.
The Lions scored another unearned run in the top half of the sixth inning. The Comets rallied to take a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Junior Brooke Coshow (Niles/Brandywine) singled through the left-side of the infield to start the inning. Junior Nicole Wernette (Remus/Chippewa Hills) came into the game as a pinch runner. She stole second and scored on a single by freshman Lauren Lenard (Lansing/Lansing Catholic).
Lenard went to second on throw to the plate and then to third on a passed ball. Sophomore Ciara Santos (Lansing/Everett) lined a 1-2 pitch into the left-centerfield gap to score Lenard. Finlandia used a two-out, infield single to score the tying run in the seventh.
Olivet was sent down in order in home half of the seventh to force extra innings. The teams elected to start the international tiebreaker in the eighth, and the Lions took advantage with the leadoff batter hitting a two-run home run.
The Comets did not go down quietly in the eighth. Junior Kelsey Greene (Burr Oak) was placed on second and went to the third on a passed ball on the first pitch thrown in the inning. After a groundout, Lenard drove home Greene with a double. Lenard took third on a wild pitch. Finlandia got out of the jam with the pitcher getting two infield popouts to end the game.
For the game, Lenard was on base safely in each of her four plate appearances, as she went 2-for-3 with a walk, double and single. She also had two RBI. Robbins was 2-for-4. In the circle, Greene was the hard luck loser, giving up the five runs (two earned) on six hits. She struck out five and walked two.
Olivet will play three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association doubleheaders this week. On Tuesday, the Comets travel to play Albion College and on Wednesday, they are at Calvin College. Both twinbills starts at 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, Olivet hosts Trine (Ind.) University at 1 p.m.