Sweeeeeep for Softball; Bucs Draw Ohio in Quarters

It took extra innings to do it, but softball took both games of their doubleheader with Presbyterian yesterday. Pitching won ETSU those two games, as Jessica Duncan pitched yet another complete game, and Wolff and Morris combined for another strong effort against Presbyterian.

In the first game, Duncan was very solid. After a shaky fourth inning where she blew the shutout on back-to-back hits, then had the eventual second run reach on an error by Baird at third base, which was eventually walked home. Duncan dug deep to keep the team ahead, though, getting six of her seven strikeouts after the second run scored and earning a well-deserved victory - and rest.

In the second game, Wolff pitched a solid five innings, and had ETSU in a position to win another tight game. Shelby Morris came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth and gave up two hits and the tying run despite getting all three outs at the plate. The game went two extra innings, but she didn't yield another hit to the Blue Hose, but a run scored in the eighth on an error by Marlina Delisa to keep the game going. It's somewhat fitting, then, that Amy Campbell would score the winning run on a throwing error herself, with Baird's unassisted double play at third closing out the game.

Pitching is the reason ETSU won this game, unquestionably, but the bats seem to have found a rhythm, collecting 22 hits over these two contests. The catch? Only one of those hits went for extra bases. That lack of power is what's really hurting this squad. The table-setters are doing their jobs, though: Nicole Fox went 3/8 across the two contests, and Marlina Delisa seems to have found a new home in the two hole, going 4/7 with 2 RBIs. It's just a matter of finishing the job, and that won't get any easier in a conference that features more than a few quality programs, specifically Upstate, Stetson, Lipscomb, Jacksonville, and Mercer.

Speaking of tough jobs, ETSU will face Ohio in the quarterfinals of the CIT, despite the fact that Ohio got a bye through the second round. I have given up trying to figure out how this tournament works and am just going to go with it. Scouting report on Ohio to come later.