Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Alex Turco Sophomore Emma Minx throws to first base during the first game of the May 2 double-header against the University of Washington - St. Louis.

Hosting regional play in the Div. III 2009 NCAA Softball Championship, the No. 2 seeded Tigers (29-7) defeated the No. 7 seeded Hiram College 2-1 on Thursday.

Both teams came out swinging in the first inning, but would be held scoreless for the remaining innings. The Hiram College Terriers (26-15) scored a unearned run in the top of the first to jump out to and early 1-0 lead.

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs for the Terriers. Sophomore first baseman Ashlee Anton then fielded a ground ball off the bat of senior first baseman Chastine Romanello and threw home for the force out. Senior catcher Rachel Gill then threw to first with sophomore second baseman Emma Minx covering, but Minx could not corral it in for the double play. The ball squirted away into the outfield and allowed senior outfielder Megan Samuel to score a run for the Terriers.

The Tigers responded in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own. Senior outfielder Chelsy Patterson walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore shortstop Brianne Weeks. With two outs, a Rachel Gill RBI double knotted the score at 1-1. The next batter, freshman designated player Jen Kosinski, singled to left field to score Gill and give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

From there, Junior Megan Soultz and the Tigers' defense would hold the Terriers scoreless to lead the team to a 2-1 victory. But the Terriers went down fighting in the top of the seventh. Freshman third baseman Ashley Pike singled with one out to represent the game-tying run for the Terriers. After a fielder's choice left the Terriers with two outs and freshman pinch runner Erin Kellar on first base, freshman outfielder Kristen Cooney struck out on a check-swing attempt to clinch the Tiger victory.

In seven innings of worked, Soultz allowed just five hits and one unearned run while striking out three. The victory moved Soultz's record to 26-7 on the season. Junior Whitney Dropsey received the loss for the Terriers, pitching six innings and allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

With the loss the Terriers will play the No. 3 seeded Adrian College (34-7) in the loser's bracket at 10 a.m. on Friday. No. 6 seed Thomas More College (35-9) defeated Adrian 4-3 in ten innings early Thursday afternoon. The Tigers will take on Thomas More at noon on Friday.

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