SALEM, W.Va. (April 6) – The Tigers were defeated in all four meetings with Alderson Broaddus in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) action at Hope Field on Thursday and Monday afternoons.
The losses drop the Salem International University softball team to 4-20 overall and 0-9 in conference play. Meanwhile, the Battlers improve to 3-3 in the G-MAC and 13-8 overall.
The Battlers started the series this past Thursday, April 2 with a 8-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader.
Salem International loaded the bases with nobody out, before junior catcher
Katie Chryssofos (Chapmanville, W.Va./Logan) cleared the bases with a three-RBI double. Freshman designated player
Hanna Crew (Canton, Ohio/Perry) drove in Chryssofos with a RBI double of her own to give the Tigers an early 4-0 lead.
Alderson Broaddus answered immediately with a six-run second inning on the power of six hits to take a 6-4 lead. The Battlers added two more in the fourth and limited Salem International to four hits over the final six innings to earn the win.
Freshman
Katie Holestin (Covington, Va./Allegheny) took the loss in game one. The Virginia native allowed eight runs on eight hits and finished with a pair of strikeouts in 7.0 of work.
Alderson Broaddus rallied late to earn a 6-4 win game two and a sweep of the action on Thursday evening.
After the Battlers scored once in the first inning, the Tigers took the lead in the bottom half with a pair of runs aided by two hits, a hit batsman and an error. Crew reached on a two-out throwing error that scored one run and senior second baseman
Kayla Guta (Bentleyville, Pa./Bentworth) gave Salem International the lead with a RBI single to put the Tigers up 2-1.
Salem International extended its lead to 3-1 with a two-out RBI single by Crew in the fifth inning, but Alderson Broaddus responded with a four-run sixth to take a 6-3 lead.
Sophomore left fielder
Summer Clark (Akron, Ohio/Coventry) delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to narrow the gap to 6-4 and set the stage for the final inning. The Tigers loaded the bases on a walk and two hit-batsmen in the seventh, but could not bring anyone across to even the score.
Redshirt-freshman
Kayla Lynch (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) was saddled with the loss in game two. She allowed six runs on 11 hits and struck out one in 7.0 innings on the bump.
The Battlers plated four in the first inning of game one on Monday en route to a 5-2 win over Salem International.
The Tigers chipped away at the lead with a run on a passed ball in the first inning and a RBI single by freshman shortstop
Cass Alexy (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) in the sixth. However, Alderson Broaddus limited Salem International to only two hits throughout the game to keep the Tiger offense in check.
The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the seventh after they loaded the bases with the help of an error and two walks with one out, but the Battlers retired the next two batters to secure the victory.
Lynch (1-9) allowed five runs on eight hits with a season-high six strikeouts over 7.0 innings and took the loss. Alexy led the Tigers at the plate with two hits and an RBI.
Alderson Broaddus scored nine-unanswered runs in the final game of the series to earn a 9-4 win and a sweep against Salem International.
Chryssofos helped the Tigers take an early lead in the first inning with a RBI triple that scored Clark to give Salem International a 1-0 lead.
Two-run home runs in both the second and third innings by the Battlers put the visitors on top 4-1. A double-steal and a two-out RBI double in the fifth inning extended the Alderson Broaddus lead to 6-1, while a sacrifice fly and a two-RBI double put the Battlers ahead 9-1 in the sixth, eyeing a run-rule win.
With the team down to potentially its final out, Chryssofos smacked a two-run home run to keep the Tigers alive and cut the deficit to 9-3 heading into the seventh. A RBI single by Alexy pulled Salem International within five, but the hosts could not plate anyone else.
Holestin (4-10) took the loss in the final game after allowing nine runs on 13 hits with three strikeouts in 7.0 innings in the circle. Chryssofos led the team at the plate with two hits, including a triple and a home run, and three RBI in the loss.
Salem International will return to the diamond on Wednesday, April 8 when they head to Vienna, W.Va. to take on Ohio Valley. The first-pitch of game one has been moved up from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m.
