Spring Arbor, Mich. — The Bethel Pilots Softball team (1-23, 0-14) fell to the Spring Arbor Cougars (20-6, 11-5) after a game one shootout from both starting pitchers at Cougar Softball Field on Thursday.
GAME 1
After two runs scored in the bottom of the first, Ryann Norris and Cougar Pitcher Emmalee Hamp were neck and neck in a pitching duel until the bottom of the fourth, where Hannah Frady took over and allowed one last run to the Cougars in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Norris threw 54 pitches in 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits with only one walk to her name. Hannah Frady came in, finished the fourth inning, and finished game one with 1.2 innings pitched, one hit, one run, and four walks.
GAME 2
The bats were red hot in the first couple of frames with Mackenzie Navarrete, who scored on an error to give the Pilots their first lead of the series. Spring Arbor followed up with a crooked number in the bottom of the first with five runs scored and kept the rally going into the bottom of the second with six runs.
The Pilots began to answer with three runs in the top of the third inning, with Marissa Navarrete plating Emmie Pugh to start the rally. Emily Kidwell hit an RBI single to right-center to score Kate Cooper, who also scored Meghan Pearson. Bethel cut their deficit down to 11-4.
The dust settled in the bottom of the third and top of the fourth, but Spring Arbor scored one last time before forcing the 10-run rule after the fifth inning to complete the doubleheader sweep.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Pilots travel to Marion, Ind., to take on the NAIA sixth-ranked Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats on Monday, Apr. 10, in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. It will be a busy week with eight games for four Crossroads League doubleheaders in six days.