By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Lansing, Mich.---Brittany George (Elmwood/Wayne, Ohio) hit two more home runs today, but the No. 17 Owens Community College softball team lost to Lansing Community College 12-9 in the Region XII District G winner's bracket semifinals.
In the first, the Express missed a chance to score multiple runs, but took a 1-0 lead on a bases loaded RBI single from Lesley Ducat (Evergreen/Lyons, Ohio). On Ducat's hit, Emily Rockman (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) rounded second too far and was picked off to end the inning.
Ducat then started experiencing trouble in the second inning. She allowed five runs, although two of them were unearned, as Lansing took a 5-1 lead.
Josie Hall (New London/New London, Ohio) got one back for the Express in the bottom of the second when she reached on an error and later scored on a passed ball.
Ducat bounced back to allow just a two-out single in the third, although Express left fielder Emily Morrow (Monroe Jefferson/Newport, Mich.) dove through the portable outfield fence to rob a two-run homer for the final out.
That set up the Express offense, which started with a leadoff homer to center by George. Later in the inning, Haley Hudgin (Ida/Ida, Mich.) roped an RBI double to left field. The Express, however, stranded two more runners in scoring position as Taylor Miller (Erie Mason/Toledo, Ohio) popped out to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Lansing added two runs before Kimberly Jesse's (Bedford/Lambertville, Mich.) diving catch at second ended a threat for more runs.
Down 7-4, the Express powered their way to three runs in the bottom half. After the first two batters got out, George hit a no doubt homer to left field. Following a walk by Tori Weidinger (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio), Rockman fouled off several pitches before depositing a game-tying, two-run homer over the fence in right field.
The lead wouldn't last long, however, as Hannah Knight hit a leadoff homer for Lansing in the fifth, although Ducat held them scoreless otherwise. In the bottom half, Hall led off by reaching second on an error to lead off the inning. However, the next three batters failed to advance her as the score remained 8-7.
In the sixth, Emilie Pritzer hit a two-run homer to give Lansing a 10-7 lead. Her teammates then loaded the bases with two outs, but Miller made a sliding catch in right to prevent more damage. George then got a one out single in the bottom half, but that was all.
Lansing would add two more runs, both unearned, in the seventh to stretch their lead to five. Alexandra Veres (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) produced a two-out, pinch-hit, two-run double in the last of the seventh, but Molly Gast (Sylvania Southview/Toledo, Ohio) lined out to third to end the game.
Ducat (20-4) took the loss. She allowed a season-high 19 hits, 12 runs (six earned) and one walk while striking out one. On the other side, Lansing used four pitchers with Kim Rowe (6-1) getting the win in relief. Rowe allowed three hits, two runs and zero walks with two strikeouts over three innings.
George, Ducat and Hudgin led the Express offense. George finished 3-for-4 with two solo homers, while Ducat was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Hudgin was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
Wrap Up
The Express are now 26-8 overall this year, while Lansing improves to 28-14 overall. The Express will take on Kellogg Community College at 12 p.m. tomorrow in the loser's bracket quarterfinals. They will need to win three games tomorrow to advance to Friday's championship. The other two games would be at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
George is now hitting .557 after her single, as well as her ninth and 10th homers of the season today. With another solid day tomorrow, she could break the program's single season batting average record. She tied Weidinger for the team lead in homers today, as well.
Rockman's homer was her eighth of the season and 13th of her career.