Softball team sweeps doubleheader at Rochester, 8-1 and 9-8

The Olivet College softball team collected 11 extra base hits en route to a doubleheader sweep against Rochester College today at the Oakland Christian High School in Auburn Hills. The Comets won the first game, 8-1 and hung on to win the nightcap, 9-8.

In the first game, Olivet scored two runs in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings. The Warriors scored their only run in the sixth inning.

In the second, junior Beth DeLora (Muskegon/Oakridge) singled and scored on junior Anna Braner's (Belmond, Iowa/Marshall) triple. In the third, junior Heidi Wear (Hastings/Wayland Union) walked and came around to score on junior Kacey Darling's (Hartford) home run that just snuck inside the foul pole in left field.

Wear led off the fifth with a solo home run over the fence in right field. Later in the inning, Darling scored on Braner's second double of the game. In the seventh, DeLora reached base on a fielder's choice and then Braner hit a home run over the fence in left-centerfield for her fourth extra base hit of the game.

For the game, Braner went 4-for-4 and nearly hit for the cycle, as she had two doubles, a triple and home run. She scored twice and drove in four runs. Darling and DeLora had two hits apiece. In the circle, freshman Katie Harper (Vassar) went the distance, allowing an unearned run on four hits.

In the nightcap, Rochester went ahead 3-0 on three solo home runs. Olivet sent 10 batters to the dish in the third inning and scored six runs. Junior Kacie Rosecrants (Parma/Western) got things rolling with a solo home run. Singles for Wear and Darling and an error off the bat of DeLora loaded the bases. An infield single for Braner brought home Wear. In only her third at-bat of the season, Harper laced a hit to the left-center gap to bring home Darling. A throwing error allowed Harper to go to second, Braner to go to third and score DeLora. Sophomore Christine Cameron (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) kept the inning going with a ground-rule double, scoring both Braner and Harper.

The Warriors got one run back in the third inning. Olivet made the score, 9-4, with a three-run fourth inning. Rosecrants, who led off the inning with a single, scored on a double by Darling. DeLora drove in Wear. Darling scored the third run of the inning. Rochester made things interesting when it scored four runs in the fifth and left runners on first and second base in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Offensively, Darling had three hits. Braner, Rosecrants, Wear and sophomore Jenny Robbins (Fenton) each had two hits. The top three batters in the lineup, Rosecrants, Wear and Darling scored two runs apiece. In the circle, DeLora pitched the first inning and re-entered the game in the seventh to pick-up the save. In relief, Harper tossed four innings to be credited with the win. Rosecrants also threw one inning in relief.

The Comets end the 2008 season with a 15-21 overall record.