Ohio Valley pulls past Waldorf
By: Matt Oliver
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Ohio Valley University pulled out a 5-3 win over the Waldorf College softball team during the opening game of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on Sunday.
NCAA Division II’s Fighting Scots (2-0) collected 12 hits in their season opener.
Senior Jessica Abrahamson and junior Ashton May provided RBI singles for the Warriors (1-6), who also received singles from seniors Andrea Hartmann and Maggie Hawley. Sophomore Hattie Hupke also pushed in a run with a bases-loaded walk.
Ohio Valley was guided by Kristine Brown (1-0), who tossed a four-hitter in the win. Brown struck out six batters, walked four and yielded three runs (two earned) in seven innings.
Hawley (0-3) was tagged with the loss. She finished with one strikeout, issued one walk and surrendered five runs on 12 hits in seven innings.
Kyle Doelling led the Fighting Scots, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles. Alexandra de Medeiros Smith added two hits. Kelly Ferneding went 1-for-1 with two RBIs, Brianna Thomas smacked an RBI double while Madison Wallace and Chelsi Lopresto produced run-scoring singles.
Arianna Escobar, Melinda Koppinger, Krystine Ball and Brown contributed singles for Ohio Valley.
Doelling doubled to lead off the top of the second inning. She advanced to third base on a single by Smith and scored following a sacrifice from Ferneding.
Hupke drew a bases-loaded walk in Waldorf’s half of the second, which scored senior Maggie Eden to tie the game.
The Warriors claimed a 2-1 lead in the fourth as May belted a two-out single to bring home sophomore Taylor Bell.
Marissa Davidson evened the score as she crossed home plate following a fifth-inning single from Lopresto.
Abrahamson answered for Waldorf in the bottom of the fifth, ripping a two-out single to score Hartmann and putting the Warriors on top 3-2.
The Fighting Scots were aided by a two-run sixth. Doelling doubled to lead off the inning and she came home as Thomas connected with a double. Cassidy Newbrough scored the go-ahead run following a sacrifice from Ferneding.
Ohio Valley tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Wallace singled to score Koppinger.
Brown secured the win, retiring Waldorf in order during the bottom of the seventh.
The Fighting Scots stranded seven base runners in the win while the Warriors left six on base. Waldorf ended the second inning with the bases loaded and also had a runner in scoring position during the fifth.
The Warriors continue their five-day spring-break trip on Monday as they take on Briar Cliff University (1-9) at 9:30 a.m. (EST) and Roosevelt University (0-4) at 1:30 p.m.