May 3, 2012
For Immediate Release
Battle Creek, MI – The Indiana Tech Softball team opened the 2012 WHAC Softball Tournament with a win and a loss. The Warriors dropped an extra inning affair with the Cardinals of Concordia, 2-1 in nine and defeated the Wolves of UM-Dearborn, 9-3 and eliminating them from the double-elimination tournament. Weather canceled the remainder of the scheduled tournament on Thursday, so the Warriors will play Aquinas at noon on Friday, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals.
Against Concordia, Tech was locked in a pitcher’s duel as junior pitcher Sam Berrios (Wadsworth, IL / Warren Twp. HS) battled Concordia’s Jeni Bollenbacher in a tight contest. Tech drew blood first scoring an unearned run in the top of the fifth when junior Martika Armstead (Richmond, IN / Northeastern) drove in sophomore Tori Kilps (New Berlin, WI / Eisenhower HS) with an RBI single.
Tech’s 1-0 was short lived as Concordia would score an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a Tech error. The game would stay tied and head to extra innings and in the bottom of the ninth Concordia’s Bollenbacher would score an unearned run to end the game, 2-1.
Tech’s Berrios would finish her 20th complete game of the season allowing five hits and no earned runs. The Warriors needed to win the next game or be eliminated from the tournament.
Tech would find their offensive groove against the Wolves as freshman JC Plezbert (St. Charles, IL / St. Charles North) and senior Megan Groce (Milford, MI / Milford HS) used the long ball to subdue the pesky Wolves. Groce hit her team leading seventh home run of the season and drove in freshman Jessica Cotton (Redondo Beach, CA / Redondo Union HS) for her 44th and 45th RBI’s of the season.
Tech would score again in the fifth thanks to Plezbert’s fourth home run of the season and the Warriors had a 4-0 lead. The Wolves would not go quietly as they rallied in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 4-3.
The game would stay close until the seventh inning when Tech would score five runs and break open the game. Groce would hit her second home run of the game driving in Cotton for another 2 RBI effort.
Berrios went five strong innings allowing no earned runs and striking out three for her 15th win of the season. Kilps pitched the final two innings for the save.
For more information on Indiana Tech athletics please call the Athletic Office at 260-422-5561 ext. 2262 or visit our website at http://www.indianatech.edu/athletics
