Pipers sweep again on day four in California

The Pipers spent the day capitalizing on wild pitches, walks, and smart base-running to take the day's sweep.

The opening inning of Hamline's game against Knox found five runs on the scoreboard, as the Prairie Fire scored two runs in the top half of the inning and the Pipers countered with three in the bottom.

Jourdan Ulrich (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.) was the first Piper on base, as she walked, the first of 12 walks the Pipers would draw in the game. After Ulrich stole second, Sophie Davidson (So., St. Paul, Minn.) reached first on a one-out walk before both runners advanced on a passed ball.

Grace Weinreich (Jr., Wahkon, Minn.) then singled home both Ulrich and Davidson to tie the game.

Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Kellie Hoen (Jr., Cologne, Minn.) was walked, scoring Weinreich and giving the Pipers a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

The Pipers added two more runs in the second inning without a hit, starting with Davidson. Davidson was walked for the second time in two innings, and then scored after two consecutive wild pitches and an error by Knox' pitcher.

Hamline's fifth run was scored by Sarah Dittberner (Jr., Forest Lake, Minn.), who walked, stole second and scored on a fielding error.

Knox narrowed Hamline's lead to one run at 5-4, after scoring two in the top of the third, but the Piper's widened the gap once again, scoring two more without a hit in the third.

Norah Antil (Jr., Pflugerville, Texas) reached first on a fielding error at third, and then advanced to second on a wild pitch right before Hoen was walked.

Antil and Hoen advanced on the second wild pitch of the inning, and Davidson was walked for the third time to load the bases.

Dittberner then walked once again, scoring Hoen. The scene was repeated on the next batter as Weinreich was walked and Ulrich scored to put the Pipers up 7-4 at the end of the 3rd.

Knox didn't go away quietly, narrowing the lead to one run in the top of the fourth (7-6). But Hamline scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 10-6 in a game that saw no more scoring.

Jessalyn Weaver (So., Eagan, Minn.) then threw her second complete-game shut-out in two days later that afternoon in the 7-0 defeat of Avila College.

After a scoreless first inning, Hamline put three runs on the board at the top of the second on three hits and one Avila error. 

Brenna Healy (So., Mounds View, Minn.) reached first on an error, and moved to second on a single from Ashley Anderberg (So., Circle Pines, Minn.). Erin Farley (Fy., St. Paul, Minn.) then singled to load the bases before a two-RBI single to center field from Heidi Larsen (So., Andover, Minn.) brought Healy and Anderberg home for a 2-0 Piper lead.

After Farley advanced to third on a passed ball, Ulrich earned an RBI on a fielder's choice as Farley crossed the plate to put the Pipers up 3-0.

Hamline's lead grew to 5-0 in the top of the fifth when the Pipers scored two runs on three hits and an error. To get the Piper half of the inning going, Ulrich bunted her way to first with one out and stole second, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. She then came home as Davidson reached first on an error by the Avila shortstop.

Weinreich's two-out single down the right field line then moved Davidson from first to third. Davidson scored on an RBI single to right field from Healy.

Hamline added one run each in the sixth and seventh innings, pinch-runner Kayla Ebbe (So., Stillwater, Minn.) scoring in the sixth on a Davidson single, and Healy hiting a one-out solo homerun in the seventh.

The Pipers are now 4-4 and will play two more games in California before returning home.