CLERMONT, Fla. – A confusing ending to the Fredonia-Simpson women's softball game Saturday resulted in a 2-1 loss by the Blue Devils.
With two outs and runners at the corners, Simpson's Sara Trent sent a long, hooking liner down the left-field line. The home plate umpire first signaled foul, then changed the call to fair and allowed the runner from third to score the winning run -- even though Trent and the other two Simpson runners had stopped advancing to the next base.
The walk-off loss dropped the Blue Devils to 1-3 --
they defeated Elizabethtown, 6-0, earlier Saturday -- and dealt
Sam Seegar a tough setback. After allowing a pair of hits in the second, Seegar faced two batters above the minimum in innings three through six. A double leading off the Simpson seventh by eventual winning pitcher Emily Bell set the stage for Trent's heroics later in the inning.
Seegar finished with five strikeouts while
Maddy O'Heir led the Fredonia offense with two hits.
DEVILS IN THE DETAILS
- The Blue Devils broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth. Nicole Kumro led off the inning with a single off the pitcher's glove. Marissa Sultana bunted to move pinch-runner Amber Piniewski to second. Kayla Murray was intentionally walked with two outs to set up a force. The strategy backfired when O'Heir singled past the diving second baseman and Piniewski raced home from second.
- Seegar pitched around a double and a hit-by-pitch in the Simpson home half of the first, and back to back singles to start the second. The second-inning escape was aided by a double play started by third baseman Cassie Herman.
- Bell bounced a shot over the left-field fence for a ground-rule double to lead off the seventh. She scored the tying run when Amron Born bunted and got caught in a rundown between first and second.
- Herman robbed Sara Trent of a hit with a diving stop for the second out of the third inning.
WHAT'S NEXT?
- The Blue Devils are back at Hancock Park on Sunday when they face Concordia-Chicago at 9:30 a.m,.and Scranton at noon.
