5-02-2018 11:39pm

SOFTBALL: Saline Holds On for 9-7 Win Over Pinckney

Kelsey Alexander went 3-for-4 with a home run and Alex Pace pitched seven tough innings and hit two doubles as Saline beat Pinckney 9-7, Wednesday.

Pace allowed seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits while walking six and striking out 3.

Alexander hit the first pitch of the game over the leftfield fence to give Saline the early lead.

Saline scored three runs in the bottom of the second. Dani Cobello singled. With two outs, Lindsay Rittenhouse singled and scored Cobello. Pace doubled to left to score Rittenhouse. Alexander singled to score Pace.

Pinckney got on the board with a double and an error in the fourth. With the bases loaded, Pace got the hitter to line out to Emma Schwartzenberger at second.

In the fifth, Pinckney tied the game with three runs. With one out, Pinckney put together five straight hits to score three runs. Shortstop Brooke Bauer made a smart play to keep the Pirates from taking the lead. She fielded a sharply hit ball and threw out the runner at home. Pace got the next batter to ground out to Isabella Darmos at third.

Saline responded with a big inning. Bauer led off with a single to left. She scored on a double to left by Maddie Shelton. With two out, Rittenhouse singled to right, scoring Shelton. Rittenhouse took second. She scored on Pace’s second double of the game. Ashley Heren singled to left to score Pace. Alexander, who reached on an error, scored on an error. Saline led 9-4.

Pinckney scored three runs in the top of the sixth. Pace walked the first batter and the second batter reached on an error, allowing a run to score. Emma Schwartzenberger snagged a line drive to second base and doubled off the runner at second for two outs. But Pinckney persisted with a single, RBI double, walk and RBI single. With runners on first and third, Pace got the next batter to ground out to Bauer at shortstop.

In the bottom of the seventh, Pace walked the first batter. The next hitter flew out to Heren in leftfield. Pace ended the game with a doubleplay. The batter hit it back to Pace, who fielded the ball before it spun into foul territory. She tagged the runner out and then gunned down the runner who was caught too far off third.

The Saline Post 3 Stars:

Kelsey Alexander: She had three hits and played a role in every inning in which Saline scored. Alexander already has 7 home runs in her junior year after just two in her first two years. Alexander’s strong and accurate arm in centerfield also kept Pinckney’s big innings from becoming catastrophic. Alexander also stole two bases.
Alex Pace – Waned in the heat, but she kept battling and found a way to get the win. She also had two doubles and 2 RBI to help Saline’s offense.
Lindsay Rittenhouse – The rightfielder had two hits, scored two runs and stole a base.