TUSCON, Ariz. - The Dickinson softball team returned to action on Thursday afternoon back in Arizona splitting a pair of games. First, the Devils fell just short of knocking off Webster, before making a statement with a come from behind win over No. 23 Central College.

Game One - Gorloks 4, DEVILS 3
Pitching Decision
W - Ainsley Hinz (2-2) | L - Abby Kohan (1-3) 

Inside the Game
Webster worked themselves out to a 2-0 lead in the first as back-to-back DC errors to start things off left runners at the corners for Madi Stichling. She would go down swinging against Abby Kohan, but during her at-bat the two runners swiped a bag leading to one coming home. After Kaley Adzick, came up with a knock two were in scoring position for Emma Bovaconti who grounded out to short plating the second of the frame. Kohan then got Kaelyn Kearney to come up empty on a third strike to retire the side. Ainsley Hinz setdown the Devils in order during the home-half to leave it at 2-0 to the second. The Gorloks tallied twice in that frame when with one-out consecutive doubles by Sidney Holtz and Paige Thomas brought home one. Two batters later it was Jaelin Holdaway providing a RBI single to grab a 4-0 heading to the home-half. A leadoff single for Paige Hahn, was followed by a flyout for Kohan and a fielder's choice by Jen Klepfer which erased Hahn leaving one on first and two-out. Kaylie Renner worked a walk from Hinz putting two on for Laia Gwathmey who deposited a two-bagger to center plating one. However, Renner was thrown out at home trying to score as well for last out. 

In the top of the fourth, Webster got an infield single, a walk and a fielder's choice to have players at first and second bringing up Holdaway. She sent a single to center which appeared to be deep enough to score one, but Thomas trying to score from second was thrown out at the dish to end the threat. The Devils cut into the lead during the bottom-half when a single for Hahn and a Golok error with Kohan at-bat had them on the corners for Klepfer. During the course of her AB Kohan was caught trying to steal second, while at the same time Hahn treked home bringing it to 4-2 after four complete innings. After the rocky start Kohan really found a groove allowing just two hits over the next three frames to preserve the 4-2 deficit to the home portion of the fifth. Dickinson showcased a little two-out thunder in that inning as a double by Emily Whelan and a passed ball against the WU catcher set the stage for an Emily Blanker RBI single. Another passed ball and single from Hahn resulted in two on (one in scoring position), but Kohan tapped out to third to stall the rally. The game would stay 4-3 to the seventh when the Red and White attempted to mount a charge. A groundout along with an error had the tying run on base for Hahn. Unfortunately, she smoked the Hinz offering to second which started a 4-6-3 game-ending double play.

Game Two - DEVILS 9, No. 23 Dutch 8 (F/8)
Pitching Decision
W - Beth Belanger (1-0) | L - Sydni Huisman (6-1)

Inside the Game
After a quiet first inning-and-a-half the Dutch found success against Renner in the circle as a single, walk and fielder's choice made it 1-0 three batters into the frame. With a pair in scoring position Emma Jensen delivered a sac fly, followed by an RBI two-bagger from Madison Farrington to extend it out to 3-0. A Devils miscue resulted in runners on the corner for Haley Bach who provided an RBI groundout. After a free pass loaded the bag a passed ball allowed Carson Fisk to scamper home making the score 5-0. Renner finally settled down and recorded the final out when she got Megan Stuhr to whiff on strike three. Dickinson pulled two runs back in the bottom of the frame when Gwathmey and June Lloyd reached safely with two gone for Whelan who roped a double to left-center plating both. Kohan followed with a flyout to center for the last out. 

Unfortunately, for DC the Dutch responded with two more during the fourth when a single for Megan Doty and a free pass to Emma Lenox, resulted in Farrington poking a two-run single through the right-side. A fielder's choice along with a flyout to left capped the frame. The fourth went by with no damage from either side sending the game to the fifth still at 7-2. The first three Red Devils would reach in the inning chasing Emma Beck from the game and bringing in Carlin Smith to pitch. She would give up an RBI groundout to Hahn, followed by a knock to center from Klepfer scoring the fourth of the contest for DC. Beth Belanger earned a walk to load the bases after coming in during the last of the fourth to pitch. Gwathmey blasted a two-run two-bagger to deep left-center pulling the Red and White to within 7-6 still with just one down. Unfortunately, back-to-back strikeouts by Blanker and Emma Varella stalled the rally. 

Dickinson finally claimed the lead in the sixth when singles by Lloyd and Whelan started a rally with no-one out for Kohan. She would popup to short for the first out, before Hahn smacked a single to right-center plating one. That was followed by Klepfer producing an RBI groundout to second making it 8-7 and still keeping a runner on second for Belanger. However, she tapped out to second concluding the charge. The Dutch knotted the score in the home-half as two walks and a sac bunt had players at the corners for Stuhr. During her at-bat Belanger uncorked a wild pitch letting the tying run across sending the game to the seventh. 

After a scoreless seventh, DC would go to work against new Dutch pitcher Huisman with Lloyd advancing the placed runner Varella to third with a sac bunt. That brought up Whelan and she ripped one to right scoring the runner. Dickinson would hope that the one run would stand up as the winner as Central put the tying run 60-feet away with one gone. Johnson hit the ball out to third where Hahn came up firing to Gwathmey at the plate cutting down the runner for the second out. Belanger then got Burnett to popout to short to end the game. 

The On-Deck Circle
Dickinson (6-6) plays two more games out in the desert tomorrow against a pair of familiar foes in Coe College and Central College.

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