The Pioneers play two extra inning games in a double header split vs. Baker on Tuesday.
Box and Play by Play In Game 1, Baker jumped ahead of the Pioneers with 3 runs on 5 hits in the top of the second. MNU answered with a run in the bottom of the inning but trailed 3-1 into the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth,
Jen Polivka and
Cait Gardner started the inning with singles and were moved into scoring position with an
Adriana Asano sacrifice bunt.
Brittany Williams then tied the game with a double and scored when
Jadalynn Cirillo's drive found the fence for another double. The Pioneers held a 4-3 lead into the seventh with 2 outs and nobody on, but Baker was hit by a pitch and followed wth back-to-back singles to tie the game. The game remained tied into the 10th when the international tie-breaker was used. A runner was placed on 2nd to start the inning, and Baker managed 2 runs in their half. The Pioneers had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs in the bottom of the inning, but back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout ended the game in a 6-4 loss.
Brittany Williams (2-3, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, Sac) and
Jadalynn Cirillo (2-4, 2B, RBI) had 2 hits apiece.
Box and Play by Play In Game 2, MNU faced defending HAAC Pitcher of the Week Erin Greenwood. Greenwood had pitched 4+ innings in Game 1 and struck out 10 Pioneers. She picked up 11 more in Game 2, but the Pioneers jumped on her early.
Janessa Swinney scored in the first inning when an errant throw on a steal attempt brought her home, and MNU put up 4 runs in the bottom of the second keyed by 2-out RBIs from
Annie Duffner and
Jen Polivka. The 5-0 lead was short-lived, however, and Baker put up 3 in the third and 2 in the fifth to tie the game. The score remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when
Cait Gardner led off with a single and was moved up by
Annie Duffner's bunt.
Janessa Swinney's infield single set up the Pioneers with a 1st and 3rd situation, and
Lynsey Keith drilled a fly ball deep enough to score the runner and win the game.
Kayla Harris allowed just 2 earned runs in a complete game victory. And
Lynsey Keith (1-2, R, RBI, HBP, Sac, SF),
Jen Polivka (1-4, 2 RBI), and
Annie Duffner (2-3, R, 2B, RBI, Sac) drove in runs for MNU.
The Pioneers are 15-12 (6-6 HAAC). The next game is a double header on Thursday at Tabor (15-15) at 3:00.
