CARLISLE, Pa. - Trailing late in both ends of their season-opening the Dickinson softball was able to pick up a walkoff win in game one, before rallying to tie game two in the seventh but ultimately falling in nine to the visiting Messiah University Falcons to secure a non-conference split at Dickinson Park.
Game One - DEVILS 5, Falcons 4
Pitching Decision
W -
Lindsay Kucker (1-0) | L - Maggie Chinnadurai (0-1)
Inside the Game
After two quick outs to start the game, Dickinson starter
Riley Kuehn allowed a two-out knock to Rebekah Wiley, before getting Hannah Dyer to fly out to center. The Red and White would touch up Chinnadurai in the home-half as she allowed a hit to
Devon Kueny and walked
Abby Kohan to start things off. After forcing
Emily Whelan to line out
Paige Hahn smacked a two-bagger to left-center plating one. The next batter was
Eden Blanker who saw a wild pitch let Kohan race in from third for a 2-0 lead after one. The first two Falcons reached safely in the second, but were unable to score as Kuehn fired two strikeouts and got a grounder to retire the side. Dickinson went in order during the bottom of the frame to keep things at 2-0.
The Falcons tallied once in the third when Alexa Burger led off with a single then worked her way around the bags thanks to a wild pitch and stealing a bag. That brought Kylie Mellage to the dish and plated the runner with a grounder to short. The next two were put away to wrap up the threat. Chinnadurai was able to produce the shutdown inning by setting aside the Red and White "three up, three down".
A scoreless fourth gave way to the top of the fifth where a single by Elianna Litwin began the frame. Burger followed with a infield single. However, on that same play the throw went a little wide of the bag allowing Litwin to race around the bags and tie the score and get Burger to third. Mellage gave the visitors their first lead with a tapper back to second, before Kuehn got the next two. Dickinson could not do anything with their chance getting the Falcons back to the dish. A single and an error left runners on the corners with one out. That was the end of the day for Kuehn as she was replaced by Kucker who got a quick strikeout, but then allowed an RBI single to Litwin making it 4-2 prior to getting a fly out by Burger for the final out.
Things then got quite spicy in the bottom of the seventh as a free pass to
Zoe Kleeblatt and a single for
Jessie Sandusky put two on for pinch hitter
Brooke Espenshade. She would lay down a sacrifice bunt to put two in scoring position for Kueny who ripped a pitch to left scoring one. A fielder's choice for Kohan drove home Sandusky to tie the score. After a pop out by Whelan, Hahn smashed one to right-center to plate Kueny for the 5-4 win.
Game Two - Falcons 7, DEVILS 6 (9 innings)
Pitching Decision
W - Kelli Durbin (1-0) | L -
Lindsay Kucker (1-1)
Inside the Game
Kohan started in the circle for DC and got a quick out, before allowing four straight to reach and let one come across the dish. That brought Litwin to the box with the bags full where she delivered a sac fly to center scoring McKenzie Shannon for a 2-0 edge going to the home-half. Dickinson would pull one back against Lydia Collison as Kueny and Kohan produced consecutive doubles driving in one. Whelan, Hahn and Blanker were then retired one-two-three to send the game to second. Messiah made it 3-1 in that frame when Burger sent one over the left-field fence with two gone. Kohan then fanned Mellage for the final out. A walk and a hit gave the hosts a chance with runners on the corners with two down, but Kueny struck out to end the threat.
The next four innings went by without either side mounting a major offensive opportunity shifting the game to the seventh with the score at 3-1 Messiah. A single by Burger along with a stolen base would allow Dyer to stretch it 4-1 with an infield hit. Dickinson immediately placed pressure on the guests thanks to an Espenshade knock and walk to Sandusky which chased Collison and brought in Durbin. Two straight wild pitches let pinch-runner
Emma Varella sprint home. A walk to June Lloyd put runners at first and third. After Lloyd stole second, Kueny and Kohan provided back-to-back RBI groundouts to bring DC level at 4-4 forcing extras.
To begin the bonus frame a runner was placed on second and was plated right away when Litwin singled to center. Kucker then induced a groundout from Durbin and got Jaden Keister to hit into a double-play. Dickinson was able to match with their chance as Whelan was put on second and after a grounder moved her to third she came home on a Blanker infield single which led to a ninth. After eight solid from Kohan in the circle Kucker took over and allowed three straight singles two score two making it 7-5 going into the Devils last chance. A groundout by Sandusky moved Espenshade to third, where she was driven home by a Lloyd grounder. Unfortunately, that would be as close as DC could get as Kueny then picked up a hit, but was caught stealing going to second to end the game.
The On-Deck Circle
Dickinson (1-1) returns to action on Saturday, March 4th in Frederick, Maryland for a non-conference doubleheader against Hood College beginning at 1 pm.
