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Box Score (vs. Carthage)

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MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Edgewood College softball team opened the 2012 season at the Finlandia University Dome Tournament with a split. After Finlandia scored four runs in the seventh inning to tie the game the Eagles escaped with an 8-7 win in nine innings on a Kayla Rackow single. Edgewood College's momentum didn't last long however, as Carthage College took the night cap 8-2.

Finlandia (0-1) opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when the tallied a single run to take the lead. However, the Eagles answered as freshman Alexis Unser led off the bottom of the inning with her first career hit in her first at bat to start a rally. Following a Lion error, Jessica Diaz loaded the bases with a single and Jessica Spitzer drove in Unser on a fielder's choice to tie the game. The Eagles took a 2-1 lead on an Alyssa Schulting bases loaded walk and

Carlene DeCoster put the Eagles up 3-1 with a fielder's choice.
Edgewood College pushed their lead to 7-1 with four runs in the fourth inning. Kayla started the inning with a double and later scored on an error. Spitzer ripped a sacrifice fly to score Emily Monson before Schulting singled home Diaz. DeCoster capped the scoring with a run scoring double that score Tiffani Pierce.

The Lions got two runs back in the fifth inning on a pair of sacrifice flies, and neither team scored in the sixth inning to give the Eagles a 7-3 lead going into the seventh inning. Paige Yoho started the inning with a single and later scored on a groundout, and Finlandia cut the deficit to 7-5 on a single by Brittany Garland. With Garland on second, Kayla Sax came to the plate and ripped a home run to tie the game at seven. Niki Hieda followed with a triple, but pitcher Charlie Leikness struck out the next two batters to send the game to the bottom of the seventh. The Eagles went down in order and the game went to extra innings.

Leikness stranded Lion runners on first second in the top of the ninth before Spitzer started the bottom half with a single. She advanced to second on an error before moving to third on a groundout. The Eagles then loaded the bases with Rackow coming to the plate. The senior came through with a single to give the Eagles the 8-7 walk-off win to start the season.

Leikness tossed all nine innings for the Eagles and struck out six batters. Katie Landon and Rackow led the Eagle offense with two hits apiece while Diaz and Monson each scored two runs. Spitzer, Schulting and DeCoster all drove in two runs for the Eagles.

Any momentum that could have carried over into the second game was quickly thwarted by Carthage College (2-0). The Lady Reds came out and put up three runs in the top of the first inning. Abby Hanson drove in the first run with a triple before Vicky Pyan crushed home run to put the Lady Reds up 3-0.

Carthage tallied single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to push the lead to 5-0 before the Eagles (1-1) got on the board. After back-to-back strike outs started the frame, DeCoster started a two-out rally with a walk and Rackow reached on an error. The runners moved to second and third on a passed ball and Schulting drove them both in with a single to cut the deficit to three. However, Carthage scored three runs in the top of the seventh and stranded two Eagle runners to take the 8-2 victory.

DeCoster went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored one run while Schulting drove in both of the Eagle runs. Brittany Andrews pitched all seven innings for the Eagles and recorded two strike outs.

Edgewood College will wrap-up play at the Finlandia Dome Tournament on Saturday when the face Simpson College and Mount Mary College. The Eagles will face Simpson at 10:00 a.m. Easter Time before facing Mount Mary.