Softball team wins two close games at Gene Cusic Classic

The Olivet College softball team won two close games and improved its record to 8-0 with two close wins today at the Gene Classic. In their first game, the Comets held off a seventh-inning by Bowdoin (Maine) College to pull out a 3-2 win. In the second game, Olivet took advantage of four errors to beat the College of Wooster (Ohio), 3-1.

Against Bowdoin, a trio of seniors helped produce the Comets' first run in the first inning. Anna Braner (Belmond, Iowa) had a single in the left-centerfield gap and went to second on a single by Kacey Darling (Hartford). A bloop hit down the left field line by Kacie Rosecrants (Parma/Western) scored Braner.

Olivet scored two more runs with two outs in the top half of the fourth. Freshman Danielle Vespa (St. Clair Shores/Univ. Liggett) singled and moved to second on a groundout. Freshman Courtney Osborn (Dorr/Wayland Union) entered the game as a pinch runner for Vespa. A double by junior Jenny Robbins (Fenton) plated Osborn. Braner then doubled to bring home Robbins.

Bowdoin got one run back in each the fourth and sixth innings. In the seventh inning, Bowdoin had runners on first and second with one out. The next batter hit a line drive in foul territory, which was caught by senior Cassie Bowerman (Quincy). She then threw to second to get the runner leaning too far off the base for the third out.

Offensively, Braner was 4-for-4 with three singles and one double. Darling and Vespa each had two hits. Sophomore Katie Harper (Vassar) won her fourth straight decision, pitching a complete game. She allowed two runs (one earned) on 10 hits, while striking out five and walking one.

Against Wooster, Olivet scored a run in the first frame. Braner lifted a ball to the left-centerfield where the Scot leftfielder dropped the ball, which allowed Braner to get all the way to third base. Freshman Mallory Schug (Climax/Galesburg Augusta) then executed a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Braner.

Braner scored another unearned run for the Comets in the third inning. She reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman, stole second and third base on back-to-back pitches, and scored on Darling's infield single. Olivet added the final run in the fourth inning when Vespa hit a 1-0 pitch over the fence in leftfield. The Scots scored their run in the sixth inning.

For the game, Vespa had two of the Comets' three hits. Braner scored two runs to raise her season total to 17. Freshman Rachel Cook (Traverse City/Central) tossed all seven innings, giving up the run on four hits. She had three strikeouts and zero walks.

Olivet returns to the Lee County Sports Complex tomorrow morning when it plays Carroll (Wisc.) University at 9 a.m., followed by a game against Eastern Nazarene (Mass.) College.

NOTE: With her RBI against Bowdoin, Kacey Darling became Olivet's career leader. She now has 62 in her career to break the old record of 61 set by Beth Shunkwiler from 2004-05.