DANVILLE, Ky.-- The Earlham College softball team split a midweek doubleheader at Centre College on Tuesday evening.
GAME ONE: EARLHAM 6 CENTRE 7
Tatum Rickert threw four innings with four hits and two earned runs allowed. The sophomore tallied five strikeouts.
Shelby Messer threw the final three innings with one hit and one earned run allowed.
Ashley Lewis went 1-2 with a double and three RBI.
Kylie Rayburn led off the third inning with a walk, and scored on an infield groundout by Rickert to take the lead 1-0.
Keely Hubbard scored on a wild pitch in the same inning to put the Quakers up 2-0.
The Colonels scored two runs on two hits in the fourth inning after a leadoff walk. Rickert ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Shelby Hill delivered an RBI-single in the fifth inning to bring
Bella Schatko home to score. Lewis then hit a double down the left field line to clear the bases, and give Earlham a 6-2 lead.
The leadoff batter for the Colonels reached on an error in the fifth inning, and scored on a two-run single to right field. Centre tacked on an extra run with a passed ball.
With two outs in the sixth frame, Centre earned four straight walks to tie the score. Earlham put two runners on base with one out in the seventh inning, but came up short. Centre won off of a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth inning with the free runner already on second base.
GAME TWO: Earlham 10 CENTRE 1
Reigning HCAC Pitcher of the Week Morgan Cooskey threw a complete six innings with two hits, one earned run, and nine strikeouts. Cooksey walked three batters.
Hill led the Quakers at the plate, hitting a Grand Slam in the first inning, and finishing a triple shy of the cycle with three hits and five RBI.
Ariel Clarkston went 2-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Batting leadoff,
Macie Ferguson had two hits and three steals.
After a leadoff hit by Ferguson, Earlham took three free bases for a 1-0 lead. Hill then stepped in, and hit a deep homer to right field for the first Grand Slam since the EC softball program was revived in 2023. The Quakers scored eight hits off four hits in the opening frame, chasing off the Colonel starter.
Centre led off the second inning with a double, and scored its only run of the game off of a sacrifice fly. Earlham plated two runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 10-1 lead, and end the game early.
Earlham will be back in action on Saturday at Wittenberg University for a doubleheader with the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.
