BOX SCORE - GAME ONE
BOX SCORE - GAME TWO
PHOTOS
VIDEO - BRIAN SHEARER
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology softball team used walk-off hits in both games to sweep a series with Defiance College, winning game one 3-2 and game two 4-3 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener on Saturday.
In game one, Rose-Hulman trailed 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning when the Fightin' Engineers to load the bases with no one out. After a two-RBI single from sophomore Janel Lake to tie the game, junior Jett Bender hit a walk-off double to left center field giving the Fightin' Engineers a victory.
Defiance got on top early scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the first. The Yellow Jacket pitcher, Sarah Kaya, had the Engineers fooled early as Rose-Hulman managed just one base runner in the first three innings.
In the fourth, freshman Jenny Miller and senior Carly Heibel reached base with two outs. Unfortunately for the Engineers, Kaya dealt one of her ten strikeouts to get out of the inning unscathed.
Defiance threatened next by getting two runners on the the sixth inning. Rose-Hulman pitcher, junior Marissa Stout, induced a groundout followed by a strikeout setting up the Engineer seventh inning.
Stout improved to 5-1 on the season striking out four in seven innings. Miller tallied two of Rose-Hulman's five hits in three plate appearances. Heibel, Lake, and Bender all had a single hit.
In the nightcap, both teams exchanged two-run innings in a 3-3 tie entering the bottom of the fourth. Rose-Hulman scored twice in the first inning on doubles by Gabbi Markison and Will, along with an RBI single from Stout. In the third, the Engineers scored again on a single by Markison and a double by Miller.
The teams battled through scoreless innings until the bottom of the seventh, when Rose-Hulman scored the game winning run. Bender opened the rally with a single and advanced to third on a double by Markison. After Stout was intentionally walked, Miller smashed a game winning single to complete the sweep.
Markison finished with three hits, including a double, to lead the game two offense. Miller added a double, a single and two RBIs. Will also scored twice for the offensive attack.
Junior Taylor Lockhart picked up the pitching victory with a complete game performance. Lockhart allowed just four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Rose-Hulman improved to 11-3 and 2-0 in league play, while Defiance dropped to 4-12 and 0-4 in conference games. The Fightin' Engineers travel to Blackburn in non-conference action on Sunday.
