The Tiffin University softball team took on a tough Wayne State team on Tuesday evening, splitting the double header with a come from behind 3-2 win in 11 innings in game one.
Game One
Tiffany Snell went tick for tack with one of the best pitchers at the NCAA Division II level. Snell was in bend but don't break mode all game, allowing four hits through the first four innings, stranding all the Warriors on base.
On the opposite end, the Tiffin offense had no problem getting on base, putting four runners on through the first four innings, but moving them was a task as the Dragons were unable to plate a run.
In the top of the 5th, Wayne State took advantage of a Tiffin error, taking a 1-0 lead on the miscue. The Warriors kept plugging away at Tiffany Snell, but were unable to crack her. Snell stranded 18 runners in total, pitching in and out of trouble throughout the 11 innings.
With one out in the bottom of the 7th, things looked bleak for the Dragons, but a Sierra Besser-Paul single gave some hope to the home team. Then the Warriors left the door open for Tiffin, throwing a ball away to allow Besser-Paul to tie the game.
With a runner placed at 2nd base in the top of the 11th, the Warriors took a 2-1 lead with a single to left field.
With their feet to the fire again, Tiffin found a way to fight back defeat. With one down, and a runner placed at second base, Jamie Sevenish lined a single back through the middle and into center field to score Brooke Lambert and tie the game at 2-2. Lambert, having advanced on the throw to the plate, moved to third on a ground ball out and scored on an errant throw by the Warriors to win the game 3-2.
The win goes to Snell on the mound, tossing 11 innings, allowing 12 hits, two runs, no earned, and struck out four. The win was the 400th of head coach Jeff Nickerson's career, placing him 48th among active head coaches.
Game Two
It was a different story in game two, as Wayne State fired up the bats in the nightcap.
Tiffin got on the board first, using a Michelle Poe double deep into the left field corner to score Jamie Sevenish to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead.
Kimmy Reynolds coasted through the 1st inning, but ran into a road block in the 2nd. With the bases loaded, a high fly ball hit back into deep left center field cleared the wall for a grand slam to allow Wayne State to take a 4-1 lead.
The Warriors would add a run in the 3rd and two more in the 4th to hold a 7-1 lead headed to the top of the 5th. Tiffin mustered a run in their half of the 5th, with Poe picking up another RBI with a single to right field. Wayne State plated three more runs in the bottom of the 5th to end the game in the 5th.
Reynolds took the loss on the mound, falling to 6-8. Michelle Poe was the lone offensive star, finishing 2 for 2 with two runs batted in.
The Dragons move to 15-20 overall and 2-8 in GLIAC play.