SALEM, W.Va. (March 26) - The Tigers rallied twice to earn a doubleheader sweep over Ursuline by scores of 5-2 and 3-2 at Hope Field Saturday afternoon.
The Salem International University softball team improves to 12-10 overall, 3-5 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). Meanwhile, the Arrows fall to 3-5 in league play, 9-15 this season.
The Tigers produced three runs in the sixth inning to break a tie in the team's 5-2 win in game one.
Salem International loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and a hit batsman, before senior
Brittany Diss delivered a pinch-hit RBI fielder's choice to third base to drive in a run. Sophomore center fielder
Tori Butler (Hedgesville, W.Va./Musselman) added the insurance markers with a two-RBI triple to give the Tigers a 5-2 advantage.
Sophomore pitcher
Kayla Lynch (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) shut the door in the seventh to improve to 8-4 this season. She limited Ursuline to two runs (one earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts in a complete game effort.
Butler and sophomore catcher
Hanna Crew (Canton, Ohio/Perry) each finished with two hits, while senior
Katie Chryssofos (Chapmanville, W.Va./Logan) added a two-run home run in the first inning.
Despite just two base hits, the Tigers managed to pick up a 3-2 win in game two to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Freshman second baseman
Sam Perez (Boca Raton, Fla./Olympic Heights) put Salem International on the board first with a sharply hit single to left field that skipped past the Ursuline outfielder and allowed sophomore shortstop
Cass Alexy (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) to score all the way from first base.
The Arrows took advantage of an error in the fourth inning to score twice to take the lead, but the Tigers rallied in the fifth to earn the win. Freshman left fielder
Jordan Whitaker (Palmetto, Fla./Palmetto) drove an RBI triple to deep left field and freshman third baseman
Monika Garabedian (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay) hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Whitaker and give the Tigers the lead.
Sophomore
Katie Holestin (Covington, Va./Allegheny) battled through multiple jams to secure the win for Salem International. She improved to 4-6 this season after yielding two runs (zero earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts while tossing a complete game.
Ursuline threatened multiple times, but could not come up with many clutch hits. The Arrows left 10 runners on base in game one and eight in game two.
Chryssofos, who finished the weekend 3-for-8 (.375) with two home runs, four RBI and two runs, drew three walks in each of her plate appearances in game two.
The Tigers are back on Hope Field on Wednesday, March 30 when they host Ohio Valley for a G-MAC doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
