Softball team suffers two heartbreaking losses in 2005 MIAA Tournament

The softball team suffered two heartbreaking losses today in the 2005 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament at Scots' Park in Alma. In their first game, the Lady Comets fell to top-seed Alma College, 1-0. Against Hope College, Olivet rallied for six runs in the top half of the seventh inning, but allowed a run in the bottom half of the frame and lost, 7-6.

With the losses, the Comets wrap-up their record-setting season with a 22-14 overall record. Olivet set eight single-season team records – wins (22), batting average (.333), runs scored (218), hits (342), doubles (74), triples (13), home runs (20) and slugging percentage (.489).

Alma scored the only run of the game in the bottom of sixth inning. The Comets were held to two hits in the loss. Sophomore Heather Hinesman (Hudson) and senior Jenn Newland (Tekonsha) each had a base hit. Junior Erica Anderson (Casnovia/Kent City) was the hard-luck loser. She allowed three hits and struck out two batters in six innings.

Hope tallied two runs in each of the first three innings to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Olivet's seventh inning rally started with Hinesman walking on a 3-2 count. Freshman Kim Green (Portland) was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Shannon Hall (Taylor/Truman) hit a single to score Hinesman and move Green to second base. Sophomore Katelan Schoen (Climax-Scotts) singled down the leftfield line to plate Hall.

Newland continued the rally with a double, which scored Green and moved Schoen to third base. Senior Jill Shufelt (Millington) walked and the ball four pitch went to the backstop as Schoen scored while Newland and Shufelt moved to third and second base, respectively. Senior Lindsey Daniels (Galesburg-Augusta) drove in Newland and Shufelt with a single to leftfield. On the play, Daniels went to third base on a throwing error by the Hope leftfielder. The Flying Dutch took advantage of two errors and two walks to score an unearned run in their half of the seventh.

For the game, Hall was three-for-three with three singles. Newland and Schoen collected two hits apiece. In the circle, Anderson pitched the first three innings while allowing 10 base hits and six runs (four earned). In relief, Green was tagged with the loss. She gave up one hit in three and one-third innings.