Softball: Olivet loses slugfest to Manchester, 13-10

OLIVET, Mich. – The teams combined for 23 runs and each team had 14 hits, as the Olivet College softball team lost a slugfest to Manchester (Ind.) University, 13-10, this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled due to the extreme cold weather.

The Spartans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on a grand slam home run by Laurren Ladwig. The Comets got two runs back in their half of the first. Senior Ashley Milheim drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on freshman Kris Forest's single. Following a groundout which moved Forest to second, freshman Larissa Ludwick hit an RBI-single to plate Forest.

Manchester came back with three runs in the top half of the second to go up 7-2. Olivet then sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on eight hits in the home half of the second inning for a 10-7 lead. After Milheim reached on a catcher's interference to load the bases, freshman Haley Reed hit the ball just inside the third base line for an RBI-single to score freshman Madison Spry, who hit a double to lead off the inning.

Forest lined a single up the middle to plate two more runners – Milheim and sophomore Jessica Palumbo. Freshman Katie Ordiway entered the game as a pinch runner for Forest. Sophomore Ashlynn Grubb hit a single to load the bases. Ludwick followed with a single to score Reed and re-load the bases.

After an out at the plate, freshman Konnor Geiger walked to bring home Grubb with the tying run. Sophomore Christine Wood came out of the flex position in the lineup to run for Geiger. Spry then had her second hit of the inning, a two-run single to score Ludwick and sophomore Kelsey Scheenks. Palumbo hit a single to score Wood with the eighth run of the inning.

The Spartans made the score 10-8 with a single tally in the fifth. The Comets loaded the bases in the fifth inning on two walks and a Scheenks' single but Manchester got out of the jam with a groundout. Manchester dented the scoreboard with a five-spot in the seventh inning. Olivet had a base runner in the seventh before the Spartans retired three straight Comets for the come-from-behind victory.

Six Olivet players had a multi-hit game, led by Forest's 3-for-3 and three RBI performance. Grubb, Ludwick, Scheenks, Palumbo and Spry each had two hits. Ludwick and Spry collected two RBI apiece. Milheim reached base safely in three of her five plate appearances and scored two runs. Eight of the nine other starters scored a run. In the pitching circle, Grubb was charged with the loss. She threw 205 total pitches, including 133 for strikes, and allowed eight earned runs on 14 hits.

Weather permitting, the Comets will host the Hope College Flying Dutch for their Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opener Saturday afternoon. First pitch from game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.