SALEM, W.Va. (March 30) – The Tigers picked up their second walk-off win in the last six days in a 2-1 win to split with Ohio Valley at Hope Field Wednesday afternoon. Ohio Valley claimed game two 8-7 to conclude the day.
The Salem International University softball team moves to 13-11 overall, 5-5 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots improve to 5-5 in league play, 8-21 overall.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the seventh, freshman leftfielder
Jordan Whitaker (Palmetto, Fla./Palmetto) delivered a two-out single to bring senior catcher
Katie Chryssofos (Chapmanville, W.Va./Logan), the
reigning G-MAC Hitter of the Week, to the plate. After Whitaker advanced to second on a passed ball, Chryssofos came through with an RBI base-hit down the left field line to end the game.
Whitaker also chipped in an RBI in the fifth inning and finished with two hits, one run scored and an RBI to lead the Tigers in game one.
Sophomore pitcher
Kayla Lynch (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) improved to 9-4 this season while limiting the Fighting Scots to one run on six hits with six strikeouts in a complete game effort. Her lone blemish was a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Ohio Valley took advantage of a pair of errors in the first and third innings to open up a 6-0 lead in its 8-7 win in the second game.
Whitaker got Salem International on the board with her first-career home run, a three-run inside-the-park home run down the left field line, to pull the Tigers within 6-3.
After the Fighting Scots got one run back in the fourth, the Tigers rallied for two more runs in the bottom half of the inning on RBI singles by freshman second baseman
Sam Perez (Boca Raton, Fla./Olympic Heights) and sophomore centerfielder
Tori Butler (Hedgesville, W.Va./Musselman) to trim the Ohio Valley lead to 7-5.
Ohio Valley once again added a run to its lead, but the Tigers pulled within one run on a two-out two-RBI single by sophomore shortstop
Cass Alexy (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford). Unfortunately, the Fighting Scots managed to hold off Salem International in the final two innings to take game two and a split with Salem International.
Sophomore pitcher
Katie Holestin (Covington, Va./Allegheny) was saddled with the loss. Holestin (4-7) allowed seven runs (three earned) on nine hits with one strikeout over four innings on the rubber.
The Tigers tallied 11 hits in the loss, with all nine batting positions picking up hits. Holestin and Butler each finished with two hits, apiece, leading the team.
Salem International heads down the road to Elkins, West Virginia next to take on G-MAC rival Davis & Elkins for the first of four games on Friday April, 1 at 2 p.m.
