Cavaliers, Indians split a doubleheader

FORT RECOVERY - Runs were piling up during Saturday's softball doubleheader between Coldwater and Fort Recovery.

In the opening game, a rescheduled MAC contest, the Cavaliers scored eight runs over the first two innings and picked up a 13-2 win in six innings for their third conference win of the season.

The Indians started the run parade in the second game with seven runs in the first inning. Coldwater, however, came back with four runs in the seventh to tie the game. Fort Recovery rallied in the bottom of the eighth for their first win of the season in a 15-14 contest.

Coldwater jumped out early in the conference game, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs. Maura Hoying had an RBI double, Danielle Welsch added an RBI single and Leah Homan had a sacrifice fly in the inning.

Fort Recovery picked up a run in its half of the first, but Coldwater scored four more in the second, three coming on Leah Homan's three-run home run.

From there, the Cavaliers added two runs in the fourth and triggered the run rule with three more in the sixth.

Emma Homan started and pitched three innings, allowing both Fort Recovery runs. Alanna Severt closed things with three innings of two-hit softball.

"That's the game you strive to get first," Coldwater coach Ken Fisher said of winning the conference game."

The Cavaliers' hit parade continued in the first inning of the second game with three runs, all unearned due to Fort Recovery errors.

The Indians, however, were in no mood for another run-rule game, sending 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first and scoring seven runs off starter Lexi Meyer in just two-thirds of an inning, forcing Fisher to bring Emma Homan back in to get out of the inning.

"These girls just came out strong in the second game," Indians coach Taylor Guggenbiller said. "They got to the bases when they needed to."

Coldwater scored a run in the second and four in the third to go up 8-7, only to have the Indians add two runs in the bottom of the third to make it 9-8. The Indians scored three in the fifth to go up 12-8 as Chelsea Timmerman, who came on in relief of Devin Post in the fourth inning, slowed down the Cavaliers.

Things picked back up for Coldwater in the seventh. A Meyer RBI single scored Peyton Welsch, Rachel Klenke's triple scored Brianna Gillis and Meyer, and then Emma Homan's double scored Klenke to make it 13-13. Fort Recovery had a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh, but pinch-runner Lauren Gehle was tagged out at home.

The Cavaliers scored one in the top of the eight on Olivia Harlamert's RBI single to bring home Gillis.

Severt, who had already pitched an inning earlier in the second game, came on to try and close out things. After getting the first out, Severt walked Audra Metzger, who then stole second and scored on Post's RBI single. Haley Knapke reached on an error and Kasey Vogel walked to load the bases for Taylor Thien, who singled to center to bring home the game-winner.

"I told the girls not to give up," Guggenbiller said. "They connected the hits and got a little lucky."

"Hat's off to (Fort Recovery) in the second game. They made some plays," Fisher said. "I told our girls I was proud of them. Being down four in the top of the seventh and we get four. We get one in the top of the eighth to go ahead. Kudos to (Fort Recovery) for getting those runs at the end."