Franciscan 6, Washington & Jefferson 5 - 8 Innings
Franciscan Lineup
Janey Winner LF, Emma Davis CF, Abigail Savage SS, Kimberly McDaniels 3B, Hayley Cook P, Eliziabeth Maxwell 1B, Madison Kozares C, Emma Clow 2B, Olivia Linden DP, & Kyra Collins RF
How It Happened
The Washington & Jefferson Presidents came into Steubenville looking to get above .500 in conference play and position themselves in the top half of the league. The Barons gave up 4 runs through the top of the 4th, and it wasn't looking good. In the first three innings, the Barons only had 3 hits, but in the bottom of the 4th their bats woke up. They tallied 4 hits and 2 runs to close the gap and breath some life into dugout.
They shut the Presidents down in the 5th then continued their hot streak getting 3 more hits and 2 more runs to tie the game.
In the 6th, the Presidents went back up by one, but the Barons answered back in the bottom of the 7th to tie it back up and go to extra innings.
In the top of the 8th, the Presidents were in the middle of their lineup. Their first batter reached base on a walk. Their next batter crushed one deep to right field. Collins was sprinting back and toward the right post. With an outstretched arm she reached as far as she could, just got the edge of her glove on the ball, and hauled in the catch. The runner who was expecting a double or triple was looking to round second, but instead had to hit the brakes hard and race back to first. If Collins had not corralled that ball, the runner was going to make it to third at a minimum and threaten to end the Barons comeback. Instead she was stuck on first. The next two batters were swiftly dealt with by the Barons defense and they left the inning allowing 0 runs.
In the bottom of the 8th, Linden was the lead off hitter. She was walked. Davis was two batters later and she singled advancing Linden to second base. Savage followed Davis up with another single and loading the bases. In extra innings and facing loaded bases, the last hitter a pitcher ever wants to see is
Kimberly McDaniels. Her first three pitches were high and inside. The pitcher was determined to deny McDaniels a good look. McDaniels patience paid off. With McDaniels ahead in the count and a walk not an option, the pitcher was forced to give her a good ball. McDaniels made the most of the opportunity and crushed one deep to right field. Up and over the head of the right fielder, that hit easily sent home Linden at third. If needed her hit probably could have garnered another one or two RBI's, but after Linden scored the Barons were ahead and the game was called. An exciting Baron victory in extra innings.
At the Plate
-McDaniels was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's and 1 run
-Cook was 3 for 4 with 1 RBI and 2 runs
-Maxwell was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's
In the Circle
-Starter Cook pitched 8.0 innings allowing 9 hits and 3 earned runs
Franciscan 0, Washington & Jefferson 10 - 5 Innings
Franciscan Lineup
Janey Winner LF, Emma Davis CF, Abigail Savage SS, Kimberly McDaniels P, Hayley Cook 3B, Elizabeth C, Madison Kozares 1B, Emma Clow 2B, Olivia Linden DP, & Kyra Collins RF
How It Happened
Game 2 was a flip fo game 1. The Barons struggled to put their bats on the ball, and the Presidents tallied 13 hits on their way to a 10 run lead after 5 innings.
At the Plate
-Savage was 1 for 2
-Clow was 2 for 2
In the Circle
-Starter McDaniels pitched 5.0 innings allowing 13 hits, 6 earned runs, and tallying 2 strikeouts
Up Next
Franciscan will remain at home to take on Penn State Beaver on Tuesday, April 1st. The Barons are in search of their first win all-time against the Lions, but they have not played them in Steubenville since 2013. The Lions are off to a slow start this season, including a pair of losses to Saint Vincent.
Stay Connected
Be sure to follow Franciscan Athletics on
YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and
Facebook for the most in-depth coverage
