BEREA, Ohio – On a rainy and dismal afternoon that featured a 45-minute pre-game rain delay and an hour in-game lightning delay, the Baldwin Wallace University softball team defeated Hiram College, 8-7, on the BW Softball Field at the Roehm Athletic Complex.
BW (8-8) and Hiram (7-12) were slated to play two games on the day but with the 45-minute rain delay before the start of game one both coaches decided to only play one game.
The Yellow Jackets scored eight runs on eight hits. The Terriers, who scored seven runs on seven hits, jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after the top half of the first inning. BW cut the lead down to 4-2 after the first. The Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-4 advantage before the game was halted for the one-hour lighting delay. Hiram regained the lead at 6-5 in the top of the fourth inning when the game resumed. BW added three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take an 8-6 lead. The Terriers closed out the scoring in the top half of the fifth inning when it cut the lead down to 8-7. The game was called due to another lighting strike in the sixth inning.
The Yellow Jacket offense was led by junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference shortstop Erica English (North Olmsted) as she went 2-for-3 with a career-high tying three runs batted-in (RBIs) and one run scored. Junior third baseman Sami Minor (North Royalton) was 2-for-2 with a RBI, a career-high three runs scored and a walk. Sophomore second baseman Alex Kozich (Avon) and sophomore pitcher Nikki Turner (Hudson) added the other two base knocks.
In the circle, senior righty Sam Mott (Frewsburg, N.Y./Central) got the start but left the game after just two-thirds of an inning after she suffered an eye injury. Mott allowed four runs on three hits with one strikeout. Turner came in relief of Mott and pitched 3.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with three strikeouts for her third victory of the season. Freshman lefty Abby Cosart (Lima/Bath) pitched the final inning and did not allow a run on one hit for her first career save.
BW is back in action on Wednesday, April 4 when it continues its homestand with an OAC doubleheader against crosstown rival John Carroll University on at 3 p.m. The Yellow Jackets close out the homestand when they host a non-conference doubleheader against Oberlin College on Thursday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m.