SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Sydney Tackett posted four hits and three runs scored and
Hannah Wilson added two hits and three RBIs, but Berry College scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to take a 5-4 victory over Sewanee in the final contest of a three-game series in softball action Wednesday in Mt. Berry, Ga.
The teams sat through a two-plus hour rain delay in the bottom of the third. Wilson's two-run single in the fifth put the Tigers (9-23, 3-9 SAA) in front, 3-2, before a leadoff triple by Ava Fouts in the bottom of the seventh. She scored on an errant throw to first on a ground ball, sending the game to extra inning.
In the ninth Tackett singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on
Madilyn Parker's RBI single to rightcenter.
But the Vikings (26-9, 11-1) answered in the bottom of the inning, starting with a leadoff single up the middle by Elly Bennett, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Lauren Cothern's single to left put runners on the corners and Kennedy Moody's fly ball to center was deep enough to score the runner and knot the game at four.
Cothern went to second on the throw home and Erica Bennett followed with a single to left, just in front of Tackett, and Cothern slid in just ahead of the throw with the winning run.
Seven players combined for 11 hits for Sewanee in the loss, but the Tigers stranded 11 runners on base as well. Reagan Huskey (6-13) suffered the loss, allowing five runs, two earned, on 12 hits in 8.2 innings. She walked three and struck out four.
Fouts (11-0) got the win, tossing the final five innings, giving up three runs on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts. She was the third Berry hurler in the contest.
The Vikings scored first after a leadoff double to rightcenter in the second inning from Moody. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Erica Bennett and after a walk to Bradynn Belcher, Berry tried a double steal, with Moody coming across when the throw to second got away.
The Tigers answered in the third when Tackett singled with two outs, stole second and scored on Wilson's double to leftcenter.
The Vikings came right back in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single by Fouts and a sac bunt from Elly Bennett. Fouts went to third on a passed ball and came across on an errant throw by the catcher, Wilson, for a 2-1 Berry advantage.
In the fifth
Sophie Nolen led off with a single and with two outs, Tackett singled down the rightfield line. Tackett stole second and both runners scored on a single to short leftcenter by Wilson, giving Sewanee a 3-2 advantage.
Berry threatened in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff single to right by Elly Bennett and an infield single from Paige Bennett, but Huskey got out of the jam with two infield pop-ups and a diving catch in foul territory by Wilson, keeping the Tigers in the lead.
Sewanee had a chance to add a run in the seventh after leadoff singles from
Maggie Barker and Tackett, but Wilson flied out to deep left, Parker grounded sharply to short and
Ansley Giffin flied out to left to end the inning.
Fouts lined a ball into the gap in rightcenter to start the bottom of the seventh and it got past
Kaylie Smith for a triple. Elly Bennett grounded to third but Barker's throw to first was wide and got away from Giffin, allowing Fouts to score, tying the game.
Paige Bennett flied out to deep left, with Elly Bennett tagging and moving to second, and she took third on a groundout by Cothern, but Moody popped out and the game headed to extra innings.
In the eighth
Grace Black singled to center to leadoff and Huskey popped up a bunt attempt, but the throw to first to double-off Black sailed into rightfield, allowing her to take second. With two outs
Abbie Buckner chopped a single to center, putting runners on the corners, but Barker's hard-hit ball was backhanded by Berry third baseman Latifa Madesko, who made the throw to first to end the inning.
Erica Bennett singled to left to start the bottom of the eighth and Avery Greeson walked. Both runners moved up on Ryan Henderson's sacrifice bunt but Huskey got a short fly ball from Emerson Wilson and struck out Fouts to end the threat.
Sewanee hosts Hendrix College for a three-game series this weekend to end the regular season. The Tigers and Warriors play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 2 p.m. and Sunday's single game begins at Noon.
