HIRAM, OHIO – Junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference right-handed pitcher Tabitha Murray (Mogadore/ Field) belted two home runs and the Baldwin Wallace University softball team scored five unanswered runs to beat Hiram College, 5-3, today (Thursday, April 4, 2013) in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader at Myrtis E. Herndon Field. The multi-home run game was the second of Murray's career and first since 2011.
The win improves the Yellow Jackets to 9-4 overall. Hiram falls to 6-11 overall.
Trailing, 3-1, headed into the top of the sixth inning, the Yellow Jackets strung together four straight hits and rallied for three runs. Junior Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference first baseman Kaity Mullen (Avon Lake) and sophomore shortstop Brittany Lightel (Tallmadge) each singled with two outs before freshman second baseman Alison Fiorucci (Seven Hills/ Holy Name) belted a two-run triple, the first of her career, to tie the game. Senior right fielder Ashley Elber (Huron/Edison) followed with the go-ahead run batted-in single.
Fiorucci's two RBI were her team-high 10th and 11th of the season.
Hiram staked itself to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning after a triple by junior Jessica Bolanz, fielder's choice by sophomore Angela Perella, and bases loaded walk by sophomore Taylor Petersal each plated runs.
Murray, who authored the NCAA's first back-to-back perfect games earlier this season, helped herself by leading off the fourth inning with a home run.
Clinging to a 4-3 lead in the Terrier sixth, Murray loaded the bases with one out before coaxing a force out at the plate and a foul out to work out of the jam. She then gave herself an insurance run in the seventh with a two-out solo homer, her second of the season.
In addition to Murray at the plate, Fiorucci was 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored, and Mullen was 2-for-4 with a run. Senior designated player Alyssa Brown (Hudson) also had two hits and a walk in four trips to the plate.
Murray allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking five and earned the win to improve to 8-3. The complete-game effort was her team-best seventh of the season.
Following the second game of today's twinbill, BW will continue a stretch of five doubleheaders in six days when it hosts non-conference foe Lourdes University tomorrow at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds at 3:30 p.m. before hosting the University of Mount Union on Saturday in an OAC doubleheader at 1 p.m. The Yellow Jackets also host Bethany (W.Va.) College on Monday at 3:30 p.m. and OAC rival Capital University on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
