March 20, 2009

Piper softball splits on opening day

On the opening day of the season, the Pipers began the day with an 8-3 win over Holy Names before falling to Tufts, 4-0.

Hamline jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of their opener with Holy Names, and added runs in the second, third and sixth innings.

Senior outfielder Jourdan Ulrich (Apple Valley, Minn.) scored the first Hamline run of the season in the bottom of the first after hitting a one-out single to get on base. She then stole second and was driving home on a single to left field by Brenna Healy (Jr., Mounds View, Minn.).

Erin Farley (So., Saint Paul, Minn.) doubled the lead to 2-0 in the second after hitting a lead-off single. she advanced to second on a sacrifice and to third after a pair of Pipers were walked. She then scored on the third walked batter of the inning.

The Pipers added two runs on two hits in the third inning for a 4-0 lead. Healy scored a run to go along with her earlier RBI after drawing a walk to lead off the inning. Farley then once again helped the Pipers double their lead (this time to 4-0), by hitting a two-run homerun.

Holy Names countered with a run in the top of the fourth and two in the top of the sixth, closing to 4-3. Hamline put it out of reach in the sixth, however, adding four runs on Dittberner's grand slam in the bottom half of the inning.

In the sixth, Sophie Davidson (Jr., Saint Paul, Minn.) singled, Ulrich reached first on a passed ball, and Grace Weinreich (Sr., Wahkon, Minn.) walked to load the bases. Dittberner then hit the homerun to put the Pipers up 8-4.

Farley went 2-for-3 in the opener with two runs scored and two RBI, while Dittberner had the four RBI from her homerun.

In the second game of the day, the Pipers fell to Tufts University, 4-0. Tufts scored one run on an RBI single in the second inning and then added three runs on four hits in the fifth inning.

The Pipers begin the season at 1-1, 0-0 MIAC. They have the rest of the weekend off from competition and will resume play in Anaheim on Monday, March 23, with games against Middlebury and Williams.