BLACKBURN RALLIES PAST SOFTBALL, 6-2

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Trailing 2-0 midway through the action, the Blackburn College softball team rallied for six unanswered runs to down Emmanuel College, 6-2, Wednesday morning in Day 4 action of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. The Beavers improve to 5-1 on the year while the loss dips the Saints to 3-4 overall.

Emmanuel took an early 2-0 lead in the action, plating a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. Junior designated player Jennifer Garrity (Lynn, Mass.) led off the inning with a single to right and sophomore right fielder Alex Bressette (North Easton, Mass.) would reach on an error to put two on with nobody out. The Beavers were almost able to escape the jam, retiring the next two batters before EC freshman second baseman Kerianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) delivered a two-out, two-RBI single to right to plate Garrity and Bresette and give Emmanuel the 2-0 lead.

The Beavers cut the lead in half in the fourth, scoring an unearned run of their own as freshman shortstop Aimee Kerley (Brown County, Ill.) started the inning off reaching second on a two-base error. Next up, freshman third baseman Lauren Rhodes (Yorkville, Ill.) belted an RBI double to right centerfield to plate Kerley and make it a 2-1 game. Kerley would move over to third on a single by sophomore right fielder Ashley Donoho (Iuka, Ill.) and Donoho would steal second two put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position but Emmanuel was able to retire the next two batters to get out of the inning with the 2-1 lead.

It would stay 2-1 until Blackburn scored three in the top of the sixth to take control of the game. Kerley and Rhodes were able to start to inning off by drawing back-to-back walks. The Saints stayed poised and retired the next two batters but the big hit came during the at bat of first baseman Katelin Tickner (Godfrey, Ill.). A wild pitch during Tickner's at bat moved both runners into scoring position and then the junior registered a double to centerfield to drive home both runners and give Blackburn the 3-2 lead. Sophomore catcher Miranda Hartman (Glasford, Ill.) would add an insurance run with an RBI single to plate Tickner and give the Beavers the 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Blackburn junior pitcher Amber Byrley (Palestine, Ill.) was able to keep the momentum on the Beavers side, retiring the Saints in order in the bottom of the sixth needing just nine pitches. Riding the wave, Blackburn plated two more runs in the top of the seventh as Rhodes and Donoho delivered RBI hits to account for the 6-2 score.

Rhodes finished the game going 3-3 with two RBI and two runs scored whie Donoho was 2-4 with an RBI. Byrley went the distance needing just 76 pitches to pick up the complete game victory. The hurler allowed just the two runs (both unearned) on six hits while recording five strikeouts.

For the Saints, Vulpis finished the day 1-3 with two RBI while freshman pitcher Val Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.) pitched well in defeat, allowing six runs (five earned) over 6 and 2/3 innings of work, striking out seven.

The Saints will return to action later this afternoon when they face off against Keystone College in a rematch of yesterday's contest. Blackburn is back in action momentarily against Mount Ida College.