Tiffin University (6-9) picked up its fifth straight victory before falling in extra innings in softball action in Clermont, Florida. They defeated Wheeling Jesuit 5-3 but then fell to Cedarville 4-3 in 8 innings.
Against the Cardinals, TU got all their runs in the 2nd inning, as they scored 5 runs in the frame. After Alayna Lytle andLindsay Graves singled, Brooke Lambert drove in the first run with another single. Kate-Lynn Urgo they followed with another single and RBI, while a Libby Crow squeeze play brought in another run.
After a WJU pitching change, Jamie Sevenish walked.Michelle Poe followed with another single and RBI, and Sevenish then scored on Samantha Ringwalt's single, TU's sixth single of the inning.
The Cardinals tried to get back into it in the 3rd inning, using some TU miscues to do so. An error allowed WJU to pick up two unearned runs as they got to within 5-2.
The same situation presented itself in the 6th inning, as TU's 3rd error of the game allowed another run to score with 2 outs. But the Cardinals could get no closer against winning pitcherTiffany Snell, who went 7 innings for the win. She allowed 7 hits and no earned runs with 4 strikeouts.
Poe had 2 hits with an RBI, while Urgo, Ringwalt, Lambert, and Crow all had RBIs.
In the Cedarville game, three straight doubles in the 5th inning broke a scoreless game and put the Yellow Jackets up 2-0.
TU got a home run from Poe to get to within 2-1.Sierra Besser-Paul then singled and advanced to second on a groundout. Hayley Kobie then drove her home to tie the game with a single.
Heading to extra innings, TU had a chance in the top of the 8th. Gabrielle Hess was placed at second to start the inning (international rules) and was sacrificed to third. April Bennett then drove her home with a single to give TU a 3-2 lead. TU had a chance to break the game open but, with the bases loaded, Devyn Trifari struck out.
Heading to the bottom of the 8th, TU starter Kimmy Reynolds needed three outs for the win. Cedarville's runner was sacrificed to third and a single knocked her home to tie the score 3-3. With two outs and a runner at second base, another Yellow Jackets single ended the game in CU's favor.
Reynolds took the loss, allowing 8 hits over 7.2 innings along with 3 earned runs and 5 strikeouts.
Besser-Paul and Sevenish had 2 hits each, while Crow added a triple. Poe had a home run and RBI, while Bennett and Kobie each had RBIs.