Feb. 23, 2008

Lutes Split Softball Doubleheader With Saint Martin’s

Game One
Game Two

Stephanie Mullen - five hits in twinbill

Hadley Schmitt - four-hitter in opener

LACEY – Pacific Lutheran and Saint Martin’s split a non-conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, the Lutes winning the opener 4-1 and the Saints coming back to take the second game, 6-5 in 10 innings.

Hadley Schmitt pitched a complete-game four-hitter in the opener, striking out six and walking just one. The Lutes, who collected 12 hits in the game, also played errorless defense in support of Schmitt.

Pacific Lutheran (2-4) got on the board first, scoring a single run in the third inning. Beth Haahr drew a one-out walk and Lisa Gilbert and Vanessa Bryant followed with singles to load the bases. Haahr then scored on Cathy Kirkevold’s fielder’s choice grounder.

Saint Martin’s (3-6) tied the game on a solo homer by Holly Morris, but the Lutes added two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. The Lutes put together a two-out rally in the sixth when Stephanie Mullen and Heather Walling singled and Missy Waldron doubled down the left field line to drive in Mullen. Carly Starke followed with a single to score Walling. In the seventh, Lisa Gilbert led off with a single and was thrown out at home trying to score on Bryant’s double. After Bryant moved up a base on a ground out, Rachel Wheeler-Hoyt had a pinch hit single to drive in Bryant.

Schmitt entered the second game in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning and eventually took the loss when the Saints scored the game-winning run in the 10th. The teams started the 10th inning using the international rule placing a runner on second base to start the inning. The Lutes were unable to score their runner, but Saint Martin’s Danni Ballard came around on consecutive fly balls, including the game-winner by Kristine Kanashiro. The throw from Waldron on right field appeared to arrive at home plate ahead of Ballard, but Bryant couldn’t corral the one-hop throw.

Pacific Lutheran was in the driver’s seat entering the bottom of the sixth inning when Morris clubbed a game-tying grand slam homer off of Lute starter Wheeler-Hoyt. The Saints took the initial lead in the first, scoring an unearned run, but the Lutes got that back in the top of the second when Wheeler-Hoyt led off with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

PLU, which had eight hits in the second game, scored four times in the top of the fifth inning, making the most of three hits and an error. Miller led off the inning with a double and came in on an error. Wheeler-Hoyt doubled to drive in the second run, and Gilbert followed with a two-run homer, her first of the season.

Mullen, playing errorless ball in her first two starts at shortstop, collected five hits in eight at-bats to lead the Lutes. Wheeler-Hoyt, Gilbert and Walling all collected three hits in the twinbill. PLU did suffer a big loss when first baseman Shelby Johnston was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the first game, breaking her left wrist.

Pacific Lutheran returns to action on Saturday, March 1, when it opens Northwest Conference action with a doubleheader against George Fox in Newberg, Ore.

- PLU -