Tipp softball falls to Bradford after pair of big innings
On Saturday, the Red Devils hosted Bradford in a non-conference game and fell short 11-9 in a game that saw both teams plate seven runs in an inning before the Railroaders escaped with the two-run victory.
Bradford led 3-2 after one inning before they scored seven times in the third inning to take a 10-2 lead. An inning later, the Red Devils fought back.
Tipp scored seven of their own runs in the bottom of the fourth to close the gap within one run, trailing 10-9 heading to the fifth.
Bradford added a run in the top of the sixth, but Tipp could not answer as they were shut out the final three innings, suffering the loss.
Tipp had 12 hits in the attack, including two each from Brooks, Anderson, and Raiff, while Anderson and Shelton each drove in a pair of runs.
Drum took the loss, giving up eight runs in two and two-thirds of an inning, but she was only responsible for two earned runs after Tipp committed six errors on the day.
After their first six games were on the road, the Tippecanoe softball team played their home opener last Friday, defeating West Carrollton 11-1 to earn their second win of the season.
Ryan Elms pitched the Red Devils to the win, allowing only one hit in her complete game victory.
Tipp scored three times in the first inning as Grace Brooks tripled in Gracie Raiff, followed by a two-run double from Graci Anderson to give Tipp a 3-1 lead after the opening inning.
Two more runs scored in the second off an error to push their lead to 5-1. The Red Devils closed out the game in the fifth with five runs scoring highlighted by run-scoring doubles from Kyla Fry and Charlize McCormick and a single from Jaina Drum.
The day prior to that win, Tipp defeated West Carrollton 14-3 on the road to earn their first win. The Red Devils had 16 hits in the win including three from Fry.
Brooks, Emily Aselage, Anderson, and Jocelyn Shelton all had two hits apiece for Tipp.
Drum pitched the complete game for the win for Tipp, giving up four hits and striking out six.
*After a week in Myrtle Beach that saw the Tippecanoe softball team drop their first game back in the Buckeye State to start off the week, falling 8-0 at Piqua as they dropped their first Miami Valley League game of the season.
The Red Devils could only muster two hits in the game that saw the Indians score five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to open up a close game and send the Red Devils down to their sixth loss of the season.
Anderson reached to open the third inning for Tipp on an error but was thrown out on the ensuing fielder’s choice from Brooks. She was left at first base as the following two batters were retired to end the scoring chance for the Red Devils.
With two outs in the third inning, Raiff singled but was left at first when Elms struck out.
Piqua loaded the bases in the bottom of the third when Ella Snyder singled and Julia Coppess walked against Drum, and both runners moved up on a sacrifice. Following a second out, a walk to Taylan Swartz loaded the bases, but Drum got Sam Clark to pop out down the left field line to leave the bases full of runners, and the game remained tied heading to the fourth.
Tipp wasn’t so lucky in the fourth as Izzy Vincent walked and Rachel Price was hit by a pitch, bringing up Audrey Bean, who doubled in both runners to give the host Indians a 2-0 lead. Drum settled down in the inning and didn’t allow Bean to score, and the Red Devils only trailed 2-0 heading to the fifth.
The Tipp offense continued to struggle, and Piqua added another run in the fifth when Price singled in Clark to push the Piqua lead to 3-0.
Piqua opened the game for good in the sixth when five runs scored highlighted by a run scoring triple from Clark following a double from Vincent, and the host squad was closing in on a win, leading by eight runs heading into the final inning.
The Red Devils did muster one final hit in the top of the seventh when Brooks singled to center, but the Red Devils fell in their opening league game of the season.