GREEENSBURG, Pa. – The Hilbert College softball team closed their season today with a pair of AMCC losses at Pitt.-Greensburg, 6-0 and 7-5.
The Hawks had trouble getting on base in the first game. Through the first six innings, there was no more than one player per inning to reach the corner bag.
In the top of the 7th,
Brittany Cooley singled up the middle and
Crystal Hailey reached on a fielding error placing two in a row. But Hilbert finished the inning with two outs and ended the game stranding six on the bags in a 6-0 loss.
Cooley (2) and
Alexandria Wankel earned Hilbert's three hits.
Jaelyn Gotham did a great job in the circle as she picked up six strike-outs but gave up six hits and six earned runs against 25 batters. The Bobcats swung for a pair of doubles yet stranded only one runner for the game.
Greensburg took an early lead in the nightcap and held their breath as the Hawks rallied late.
The Bobcats found four runs in the bottom of the second and two more in the third.
Hilbert had bases loaded in the 1st but stranded three with back-to-back strike outs. And then in the top of the 2nd, the Hawks had two on base but a swinging strike out ended that run.
Hilbert opened the gates for Greensburg in the 2nd. After getting the first two batters out on swings, three consecutive walks loaded the bases. A short stop error scored a pair and then the next batter hit a timely 2-run double which built a 4-0 lead.
Greensburg padded their score with two more runs in the bottom of the 3rd before Hilbert strung some hits together.
Cooley reached 1st on an error and moved a base with a ground-out to third base.
Morgan Grosch's single to left field opened up second base, so when
Anndrea Quiroga was at bat, Grosch stole second.
Now with runners on third and second, Quiroga's ground-out moved Grosch to third and Cooley home. Smart base-running by Grosch moved her home on a wild pitch for a pair of runs that inning.
Greensburg combined a single and a double into a run with a sac fly to center field lifting the hosts to 7-2 lead.
Wyann Jackson hit an RBI-single up the middle for Hilbert's third run in the 5th inning. But that wasn't it for the Hawks.
Morgan McNeill opened the top of 7th with a walk and scored off Grosch's double to left center. Quiroga doubled through the right side scoring Grosch with only one out. Hilbert's fourth batter struck out and their final batter fouled out into a double play pick off.
Grosch went 3-for-4 and Quiroga finished with 2 RBI.
Rachel Allen went 2.1 innings with six walks, three hits and six runs.
Victoria Dzaak came in relief and collected three strike outs, and one earned run off four hits against 14 batters.
The Hilbert softball team closed their 2016 season at 8-27 matching the team's single season win record since the 2011 season.
