TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology relied on a game one rally to earn a doubleheader split against Blackburn College in softball action on Sunday afternoon.
The Fightin' Engineers scored five runs in the sixth inning to rally from a 4-1 deficit and capture a 6-4 win to secure a split of the twinbill. Blackburn captured the nightcap by a 3-2 margin.
Junior Chris Rollins (Springfield, Ohio/North) led the Rose-Hulman game one offensive attack with two singles, two runs scored and one RBI. Junior Ashley Loy (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central) added the biggest hit of the day with a pinch hit two-run single that gave the Engineers the lead for good.
Sophomore Taylor Lockhart (Robinson, Ill./Oblong) picked up the pitching victory with a complete game effort. Lockhart scattered 10 hits and pitched around three walks with eight strikeouts in the win.
Blackburn built a 4-1 lead entering the bottom of the sixth, before Rose-Hulman had its five-run inning. Singles by junior Carly Heibel (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lakewood Park Christian), sophomore Marissa Stout (Terre Haute, Ind./South) and senior Allison Bowman (Fort Wayne/Snider) were followed by a hit by pitch to Rollins to make the score 4-2.
Freshman Janel Lake (Okawville, Ill.) added a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-3, before Loy hammered a two-run single to give Rose-Hulman the lead. Junior Jessica Ahlborn (Houghton, Mich.) capped the rally with another RBI single.
In the nightcap, Blackburn snapped a 2-2 tie with one run in the fifth inning to earn a 3-2 victory. Lauren Rhodes picked up the complete game victory for the visitors with four strikeouts.
Ahlborn paced the Rose-Hulman offensive effort with three singles. Stout and Bowman had one hit and scored one run each, while Rollins added a single and an RBI.
Freshman Ellissa Eckert (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) tossed a solid complete game in the circle despite the loss. Eckert allowed eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts, with just two earned runs allowed in the seven inning performance.
Rose-Hulman stands 8-6 on the season, while Blackburn has a mark of 5-15. The Fightin' Engineers travel to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Franklin College on Tuesday.
