BEREA, Ohio – Senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC second baseman Brittany Lightel (Tallmadge) stole home and scored the winning run as the Baldwin Wallace University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader against rival The College of Wooster at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field.
The Fighting Scots (15-17) won the first game, 6-1, and the Yellow Jackets (13-22) captured the nightcap, 7-6 in eight innings.
With Wooster holding a 6-5 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning, BW needed to score or face being swept. The inning started with senior first baseman Mackenzie Brua (Avon) being placed on second per the rule for extra inning games in softball. She advanced to third when Lightel singled. After a ground out moved Lightel to second base for the first out, sophomore DJ Rogers (Warren/ Champion) reached on a fielder's choice with Brua scoring the tying run, and while the Wooster defense was not paying attention, Lightel bolted and stole home plate and scored the winning run.
In the first game, BW grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Wooster scored once in the top of the second and twice more in the fourth to take a 3-1 advantage. The Yellow Jackets had a great scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth with bases loaded and no outs, but failed to score. The Fighting Scots capitalized with three runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
At the plate, the Yellow Jackets had six base hits. Freshman shortstop Alicia Hack (Pickerington/ North) led the way with two. She was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Freshman catcher Tori Young (Tallmadge), senior first baseman Mackenzie Brua (Avon), junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC second baseman Brittany Lightel (Tallmadge) and sophomore third baseman DJ Rogers (Warren/ Champion) each had a base hit. Brua also had a run batted-in (RBI)
On the mound, sophomore Erica Morgan (Brook Park/ Midpark) started and pitched the first five innings and took the loss to fall to 5-12 this season. She allowed nine Wooster base hits and six runs (three earned), struck out one and did not walk a batter. Freshman Jaki Bender (Wampum, Pa./ Mohawk), who made just her second career appearance, pitched the final two innings, allowed four hits and no runs, struck out two and walked one.
In the second game, Wooster grabbed a 4-0 lead with a run in the top of the second inning and three more in the third. BW cut the Fighting Scot lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to make it 4-2. Wooster a final run in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. BW tied it at 5-5 when the Jackets scored three times in the bottom of the seventh. That set the stage for Lightel's heroics in the bottom of the eighth.
At the plate, BW outhit the Scots, 10-9. Sophomore left fielder Mackenzie Nelsen (Powell/ Dublin Scioto), freshman right fielder Sierra Bennett (Tallmadge) and Brua led the way as each player had a pair of hits. Nelsen was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and her first career home run and two RBIs. Bennett was 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs, including her first career home run. Brua was 2-for-3 with her first career triple.
On the mound, sophomore Samantha Dostall (Oberlin/ Firelands) started and pitched a career-high eight innings and earned the win to improve to 8-10 this season. She allowed nine hits and six runs (four earned), struck out two and did not walk a batter.
BW ends its regular season this Saturday, April 25 when the team travels to New Concord for an OAC doubleheader against Muskingum University at 1 p.m.
