LACEY, Wash. – It was an instant classic in the first matchup between the Saints and Western Oregon. Multiple comebacks, extra innings, a 40 minute rain delay, and clutch pitching led to the Saints walking off the game in fashion on a double by
Devyn Connolly in the 10th inning to win 12-11.
Saint Martin's (6-4, 1-0 GNAC) got on the board first with two runs in the third inning coming off the bats of
Kylie Lopez and
Olivia Schmidt.
Western Oregon (10-9, 0-1) took until the fifth inning to find their offense against
Brandi Schoessler, but they managed to hang six runs on the board in the fifth. They added another run in the top of sixth to open up a 7-2 lead.
The Saints needed a big inning to have a chance to in the seventh, and
Nicki DeHan started the rally with a RBI single to center field in the sixth.
Emery Norwood drove in another on a ground out, before pinch hitter
Delaney Sager came through in the clutch. Sager sawed a ball off to the right field foul line, dropping in, and scoring two more runs to cut the score to 7-6 after six innings.
After Schoessler posted another shutout inning in the top of the seventh, it was
Regan Byrd who delivered the game-tying hit in the bottom of the seventh. With two on and nobody out, Byrd doubled to left center to tie the game at 7-7. The Saints left the bases loaded with nobody out to force extra innings.
Western Oregon struck first, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to reopen a 9-7 lead. However, the Saints did not quit, and Schmidt stepped up with the game-tying home run. Schmidt laced a ball to left, barely clearly the wall with one on to tie the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the eighth.
After a quiet ninth, Western Oregon scored two in the top of tenth, hoping it was enough to seal the victory. But two errors by the Wolves in the bottom half of the tenth allowed the two tying runs to score, setting up Connolly. Connolly delivered the final blow, roping a ball into left center for her first hit of the game to score Schmidt and complete the 12-11 dramatic victory.
Schoessler (4-2) went all 10 innings, throwing 184 pitches in the process. The senior allowed 11 runs, 10 earned on 18 hits, while walking six, and striking out three batters.
The Saints and Wolves began the second game of the doubleheader, making it to the bottom of the first with WOU leading 1-0 before the game was called due to lack of daylight. The game will be resumed at a later date, determined by the coaches, and the conference office.
