Thursday, April 28, 2016

LACEY, Wash. – Jackie Schmaeling drove in the only runs that Saint Martin’s needed Thursday as the host Saints beat regular season champion Central Washington 2-0 in their opening game of the GNAC Softball Championships at the Saint Martin’s softball field.

After Lauren Diuco reached on a fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth, Schmaeling delivered a triple down the right field line on a two-ball, one-strike pitch to score Diuco from first base. Schmaeling then provided a bloop single to left field in the top of the seventh, scoring Alyssa Slate for an insurance run. Schmaeling finished 2 for 3 with the game’s only two RBI.

It proved to be the only runs in a game where both teams had their fair share of scoring opportunities. Saint Martin’s finished with 11 hits, leaving nine runs on base. While Central Washington finished with just three hits, the Wildcats left six runners on base, two in scoring position.

Kim Nelson earned the win for Saint Martin’s with her three-hit performance, improving to 13-9 on the season.

The Saints, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, will play Western Oregon in the third game of the tournament on Friday at 10 a.m. The No. 2 seeded Wolves defeated No. 3 seed Concordia in the day’s opening game, 3-1. Central Washington, the No. 1 seed, will play Concordia in an elimination game on Friday at 12:30 p.m.

The Saints missed out on a golden oppportunity to break the game open in the top of the first. Lindsay Miller opened the game with a single, only to be erased on a fielder’s choice. Mary Dettling followed with a one-out double, but Diuco was put out on the play. Two batters later, Sabrina Hicks was coaxed into a ground out to end the threat.

Miller got on again with a one-out single in the third and moved to second base on a bunt single to the left side by Diuco, but Central Washington pitcher Kiana Wood got Mary Dettling to pop out and Schmaeling to ground out to end the frame. The Saints then proceeded to load the bases with one out in the fourth, but Miller lined out to Wood and the Wildcats turned it into an inning-ending double play.

Central Washington put their first runners on base in the bottom of the third with Andrea Hamada leading off with a single to right field. Rachael Johnson sacrificed pinch-runner Michaella Hazlett to second and Celine Fowler put two runners on with her infield single. Both were stranded as the next two batters fouled out and hit into a fielder’s choice. The Wildcats tried to build off of a leadoff single by Kailyn Campbell in the sixth, only to see her stranded at second base.

The Wildcats had life in the bottom of the seventh with Taylor Ferleman reaching on an error before being wiped out on a fielder’s choice. With Sammy Morris on first base, the Wildcats hit two long balls to left field, including one by Johnson which was caught by Miller to end the game.

Wood, the GNAC Pitcher of the Year, took the loss to drop to 17-6 on the season. She allowed one run on nine hits and struck out three. Brielle Copadonna allowed one run on two hits as she threw the final two innings. Miller had three hits to lead all players offensively.