GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Each year Coach Maloley and her staff dedicates a special day for all the Raider parents and family to thank them for everything they have done for their daughters and the Raider program. It also was sophomore day for Alison Iuelle, Marlene Packer, Ashley Raap, Jessica Kohlhoff, and Adrienne Palmer. These ladies have made the coaches very proud over their two years at the college and the future looks very promising for all five of them. Thanks sophomores!
Oh, and we had some ball to play as well, as the Indians came to town with a season sweep in mind over the home squad.
Raap pitched one of her best games of the season in the first game throwing a complete game six hitter, helping her team win game number one; 7-2 over the speedy Lake Michigan team. Because of her great outing Coach Maloley decided with the same exact line up for the night cap, however the results weren’t the same with the visitors leaving Grand Rapids with a 13-9 victory.
Puff was pulled in the top of the 2nd inning after walking the first batter and falling behind the next batter with a 3-1 count. Kohloff came in to relieve her sophomore teammate and the Indians would score four runs making it a 5-1 ball game after just 1 ½ innings. Only two of those runs were earned though in the inning.
LMC’s starting pitcher, Ashley Tackett, was very effective for her team in game two, allowing just four runs before the Raiders got to bat in the bottom of the 7th inning. Just as they did in Benton Harbor, the Raiders made a huge surge in the final inning to try and pull out the comeback, only to fall short.
With one out and trailing 13-4, Packer started the late rally with a base hit to left field. Iuelle proceeded with her 9th homerun of the season, and Kellen Dewey ripped a homer of her own to make it a 13-7 game. Two out singles by Karli Showers, Adrienne Palmer, and Allie Annese scored one more run and left runners on the corners. Kohloff then walked for the third time of the game loading the bases up for freshman Casey Cherry. LMC decided to bring in a relief pitcher, but she walked Cherry and the rally was still on.
Danielle Fournier caught Packer with a change up to end the ball game and the Indians upped their record to 12-24 (11-11), while the Raiders dropped to 16-26 (10-14). The Raiders must win out in order to have a reasonable chance at making regionals next weekend.
The speedy Indians racked up 19 hits in the nightcap, seven of them being infield hits, and five of those seven coming off of bunts. The Raiders finished with 13 hits and were led by Iuelle who went 3 for 4 with 5 RBI. Mars, Brittany Frye, and Showers all added 2 hits a piece.
The Raiders will battle the Vikings tomorrow at 3:00pm in their final home doubleheader of the 2011 season. They won both at Glen Oaks back on March 29th to start the conference season.
