Softball: Olivet splits season-opening games at Gene Cusic Classic

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team split two season-opening games in dramatic fashion today at the Gene Cusic Classic and inside the Cape Coral Sports Complex in Cape Coral, Florida. In the first game against Bluffton (Ohio) University, senior Ashley Milheim hit an RBI-single to plate freshman Madison Spry with the go-ahead run for a 4-3 win in nine innings. In the second game against York (Pa.) College, the Spartans scored a run in bottom half of the seventh inning for a 1-0 win.

Against Bluffton, the Comets had runners on first and third base in the second inning before a double play ended their threat. The Beavers took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Ariana Muffo in the fourth inning. Olivet scored the tying run in the fifth inning. Spry walked and then a groundout by sophomore Jessica Palumbo advanced Spry to second base. Junior Maddy Siebenmark hit a single to the second baseman, who fielded the ball but did not attempt to get an out, and Spry hustled around the bases and scored the tying run.

In the seventh inning, Bluffton left two runners stranded in scoring position. Both teams manufactured runs in the eighth inning. The Beavers did their damage on a suicide squeeze bunt, while Olivet scored its run on a sacrifice fly by freshman Kris Forest.

The Beavers scored a run in the top half of the ninth inning. The Comets scored twice in the ninth inning for the winning. Sophomore Christine Wood was placed on second base because of the international tiebreaker. She moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Larissa Ludwick. Spry reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners.

Palumbo hit a ball to the shortstop who tried to get Wood out at home, but she slid under the tag with the tying run and Spry went to second base. After the second out was recorded, Milheim laced a single off the pitcher's glove which deflected into right-center field. Spry raced around the bases to score the winning run.

For the game, Milheim went 4-for-5 at the plate, with four singles, a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore Ashlynn Grubb collected two hits, while Spry scored twice. In the circle, Grubb threw all nine innings, allowing one earned run on four hits. She struck out nine and did not walk a batter.

Olivet's best scoring chance against York came in the first inning. Milheim led off the game with a single before going to second base on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Kelsey Scheenks and to third on a ground out by Grubb. A hard hit line drive off Forest's bat was snagged by the second baseman for the third out.

The Spartans left runners on the base paths in five of the first six innings. After two outs were recorded, York plated the only run in the bottom half of the seventh.

The Comets were limited to three hits – singles by Ludwick, Milheim and Scheenks. Making her collegiate debut in the circle, freshman Dalaney Maki suffered the loss. She gave up the one run on four hits, and struck out three.

Olivet is back in action tomorrow against Wartburg (Iowa) College at 9 a.m., followed immediately by a game against Kenyon (Ohio) College. Both games will be played at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida.