Snow College won the first two games of a four-game series against North Idaho College’s softball team Friday at Memorial Field in Coeur d’Alene. Snow took the first game 6-2 and the second game 7-5 in nine innings.
During the second game with the score tied at four in the top of the ninth, Snow catcher Sylvana Kelley singled to right and Kelsey Simmonds reached first base on an error after NIC pitcher Emily Perlich fielded the bunt and threw high to Kelsey LaVaute at first base.
After the runners advanced a base to second and third, Sara Park hit a RBI double to left field, taking a 5-4 lead.
Simmonds scored on a passed ball to bring the score to 6-4, and Sydney Butler knocked a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in Park.
The Cardinals fought right back in the bottom of the ninth inning as Shelby Carter blasted a home run to lead off the inning to cut the deficit to two runs. Snow pitcher Katie Greenberg had allowed two home runs the entire season prior to Carter’s solo home run.
NIC was not able to put any more runs on the board, however, as it stranded two base runners to end the game.
“This team is used to adversity,” NIC head coach Don Don Williams said. “Everything we’ve gone through with our injuries this year, and so they just have a lot of fight in them and they never give up. That’s nice to see. They play with a lot of heart.”
Even though the Cardinals lost, the tight game, extra innings excitement made an interesting atmosphere.
“It’s a great feeling just to have your team on the same page and fight for something because it is a tied game, but it’s always about that next play and just having an errorless defense and attacking the pitchers,” NIC shortstop Heather Bishop said. “It’s just great. It’s so much fun out there.”
In the top of the first inning, Snow scored a run but Bishop threw out Ally McAfee at home plate to prevent another run.
After LaVaute lined out to the shortstop in the bottom of the second inning, NIC center fielder Amber Meyers slid into second for a double.
Tori Schuler then knocked in Meyers with a double to right field, tying the game at one.
Butler hit a two-run single to center field in the top of the third inning for Snow to regain the lead.
Bishop and freshman Kylene Hatton reached base with no outs in the bottom of the third inning. Both then advanced a base on steals.
“Heather was key for us today,” Williams said. “One thing is she’s placing the ball wherever she wants in the infield and her base running is just tremendous. She sees opportunities and always gets the extra base, stealing third base. She’s just been crucial for us.”
With runners on second and third for NIC, Snow turned a double play as Kelley threw out NIC’s Shanika Sawyer at first base after Sawyer struck out and then the Snow fielder threw the ball back to Kelley to try to tag out Bishop. Bishop tried scoring on the throw to first but was called out at home.
Carter knocked in Hatton from third and after a long battle between Snow pitcher Karlie Carter and LaVaute, LaVaute won with a two-run home run to left-center field to take a 4-3 lead.
Meyers and Desirae Tinoco continued the inning for the Cardinals with singles, but Schuler struck out to end the inning after the Badgers changed pitchers.
Kelley hit an RBI single to center field in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game.
Perlich entered the game against the next batter and got out of the inning with no more runs allowed.
The Cardinals threatened to score in the sixth inning but left the bases loaded.
In the top of the seventh, Perlich struck out three Badger batters after allowing an infield single to start the inning.
In the first game, Bishop led off the bottom of the first inning with a single to left field. Hatton, the next batter, reached second base on a Snow error to move Bishop to third.
Sawyer then executed the squeeze play by laying down a sacrifice bunt to score Bishop, taking a 1-0 lead for the Cardinals.
In the top of the second inning, Snow’s Tauni McFarlane hit a three-run home run to left field with the ball barely clearing the fence.
NIC left fielder Kellsi Parson led off the bottom of the third inning with a walk and a few batters later scored from third on a passed ball to cut the lead to 3-2.
In the top of the sixth inning, Greenberg helped herself by knocking in two runs and scoring from third base on a passed ball to extend the Badgers’ lead to 6-2.
“The sixth inning is where we gave them the game defensively,” Williams said.
NIC was scheduled to take on Snow again today in a doubleheader at noon at Memorial Field, but the games, if they are played, will be pushed back to 2 to 3 p.m. due to the field conditions. If a game starts at 2:30 or 3, the teams will play one game.
