Homers not enough to avoid sweep
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Northwest senior pitcher Abbie Vitosh releases a pitch during a game earlier this season against Southwest Baptist. Vitosh was charged with the loss in game two of Wednesday’s double-header against William Jewell.
LIBERTY, Mo. — The Northwest softball team dropped both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader against William Jewell, despite jumping out to and early lead in game one and hitting three home runs in the nightcap.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game one, Jewell walked off with two runs in the seventh to win 4-3. The Cardinals weathered three homer runs — two by senior first baseman Stephanie Mark — in game two to earn an 8-5 win and the sweep.
In the first at bat of the game, freshman shortstop Rebecca Maher slapped a single through the hole at second. Two batters later, Mark opened the scoring with a two-run home run to straightaway center field.
Mark reached base in all four of her at bats, hitting a home run and a single while drawing two walks.
After the Cardinals scored one in the bottom of the first, the Bearcats took the run right back in the top of the second when sophomore right fielder Ashley Wilcoxson reached on an error by the second baseman. Wilcoxson moved to second on junior designated hitter Madison Jones’ sacrifice bunt and headed for third when sophomore center fielder Cassidy Lee singled down the left field line. Maher drove her home with an infield single.
William Jewell left fielder Madi Giles drew the Cardinals to within one, 3-2, with and RBI groundout in the bottom of the third.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Jewell rattled off four straight hits, including a bases-loaded, walk-off single by Giles.
Junior Sarah Baldwin took the loss, giving up three earned runs on nine hits over six-plus innings while striking out three.
William Jewell’s hot-hitting carried over into game two as the Cardinals scored four runs in the first three innings behind a pair of RBI singles and a pair of sacrifice flies against Northwest senior starter Abbie Vitosh, who allowed five runs on nine hits over the course of 3.1 innings to fall to 0-3 on the year in the circle.
Trailing 4-0, the Bearcats closed the gap to one after junior left fielder Kendle Schieber led off the fourth with a single and scored with two outs on a botched pickoff attempt. Maher then curled her third home run of the season around the right field foul pole to trim the deficit.
Cardinals’ shortstop Faith Song hit a solo homer to center in the bottom of the inning, signaling the end of Vitosh’s day. Mark got the run right back in the top of the fifth, launching a solo shot of her own.
However, Song drove in two in the bottom half of the inning with a single to left and Schieber walked in a run to give the Cardinals an 8-4 lead.
Mark hit her third homer of the day, and ninth of the season, in the top of the seventh, but that’s as close as Northwest could get, falling to 9-15 on the season.
The Bearcats return to conference play when Lincoln comes to town for a double-header beginning at 1 p.m. Friday. Saturday, Northwest takes on Lindenwood in a double-header beginning at noon.
