TOLEDO, Ohio -- The Lawrence Technological (Mich.) University softball team swept Lourdes (Ohio) University on Sunday, April 21 in Toledo, Ohio. The Blue Devils took game one 10-7 and won game two 11-4 (8 inn.) in extra innings.
Lawrence Tech (17-13, 10-8) needed a comeback to seal the 10-7 win at Lourdes in game one. The Blue Devils fell behind 4-1 after the first inning, but four runs over the next three innings put the Blue Devils up 5-4. Dana Bigham (SO/Jackson, Mich.) scored on a Lourdes error in the second inning followed by an RBI in the third inning as she was hit by a pitch. Brittany Wieland (FR/Alexandria, Va.) and Jackie Mattingly (SO/Chino Hills, Calif.) scored on an error and a wild pitch in the fourth inning to give LTU the one-run lead.
Lourdes (13-17, 5-7) responded in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game on an RBI double to left-center. The Gray Wolves took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Lawrence Tech had an answer in the top the sixth with three runs on three hits.
Cherilyn Banas (JR/Oxford, Mich.) singled to leadoff the inning followed by a bunt single from Wieland to put runners on first and second with no out. Katie Cyster (FR/Wyandotte, Mich.) RBI bunt plated Banas to tie the game at 6-6. Meredith Adams (SO/Portage, Mich. ) gave Lawrence Tech the lead with a ground out to the shortstop. Bailey Brown (SO/Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) made it 8-6 laying down a sacrifice bunt to score Cyster.
Sydney Schultz (SO/Commerce Twp, Mich.) got through the bottom of the sixth with a pair of ground outs while Alex Amos (SO/Corona, Calif.) caught Lourdes stealing at second base. The Blue Devils added two more runs in the seventh inning as Katie Kubiak (SO/Burlington, Wisc.) single to short scored Amos after a throwing error. Cyster made it 10-6 with an RBI single. Lourdes got one run back in the bottom of the seventh, but Schultz struckout the final batter to seal the comeback win.
Schultz (3-2) earned the win in relief, allowing one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks over the final three innings to earn the win. Alexa Cherney (SO/Farmington Hills, Mich. ) started in the circle and went four innings, allowing six runs - four earned - on eight hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Cyster led the way at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored while WIeland went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs, and a stolen base. Banas finished the game 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a sacrifice bunt.
In game two, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the fifth inning as Cyster scored Wieland to make it 1-0 in the third inning. Browns RBI groundout scored Cyster to give LTU a 2-0 lead. In the fifth inning, Wieland scored Banas off an RBI single followed by a Gray Wolves error that scored Wieland.
Sydney Coe (FR/Napoleon, Mich.) started the game in the circle and breezed through the first five innings, allowing just two hits and no runs, but got into trouble in the sixth. After getting the first out of the inning, a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases for Lourdes and an RBI double scored two runs to cut the LTU lead to two runs. Schultz came in to relieve Coe and got the final two outs with a pair of strikeouts.
Lourdes got through the top of the seventh in order and tied it in the bottom of the seventh. The Gray Wolves Waters singled through the rightside to plate two runs, but was thrown out stretching at second base to end the inning.
The Blue Devils did not waste time getting the lead back, scoring seven runs in the eighth inning to make it an 11-4 game. Nicole Schwerin (FR/West Bloomfield, Mich.), pinch running for Bult, scored off a sacrifice bunt from Bigham to take the 5-4 lead. Bigham scored off a Lourdes error to make it 6-4. Wieland scored Mattingly before Adams single made it 11-4.
Schultz sealed her second win of the day with three fly outs to end the inning after the first two hitters reached base on an error and a walk. Schultz went 2.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits. Coe went 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits with three strikeouts.
Wieland went 3-for-5 with two RBI's, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Cyster went 1-for-5, scored two runs with an RBI and a pair of stolen bases.
Lawrence Tech is back on the field Tuesday, April 24 when they host University of Northwestern Ohio in Detroit, Mich., at University of Detroit Mercy's Buysse Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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