SAGINAW, Mich. - Meagan Baird. Does any more need to be said?
She blasted three home runs to three different parts of the ballpark for six RBI's to rally Tiffin (38-12) past Ashland (31-16) 8-6 in a thrilling back-and-forth battle at the Saginaw Valley Softball Complex.
Amber Young (13-4) tallied her second win in as many days in the circle for TU, allowing only a hit in the final 3.1 innings pitched. Mindy Meredith started the game, allowing eight hits and six runs (three earned) over the first 3.1 innings pitched.
"What can you say?" head coach Jeff Nickerson asked. "Meagan came mentally ready to play today. Even on the bus immediately after our win yesterday, she talked about being ready for Ashland. She was dialed in today.
"The team, not just today, but all season has showed amazing resilience," Nickerson added.
Tiffany Smith contributed a critical solo shot to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
Lyndsey Brandt and Brianna Woody both went 2-for-4 with two RBI's and a run for Brandt and two runs and an RBI for Woody to lead the AU offense. Logan Hursey added a two-run blast to tie the game in the third.
Emlyn Knerem fell to 24-7 on the season as five of her losses have been at the hands of the Dragons. She allowed seven runs (four earned) and six hits with six strikeouts over 4.2 innings pitched for the Eagles. However, it was reliever Logan Hursey who gave up the three-run blast to Baird that gave Tiffin the lead for good.
Just like yesterday, Tiffin came out swinging in the bottom of the first and picked up unearned runs. Stephanie Bobotas reached on an error and stole second. She scored on Amanda Temple's one-out double for the first run of the game. After a strikeout, Baird smashed the 2-0 pitch beyond the left field wall to give Tiffin a trio of unearned runs and the lead.
It stayed that way until the top of the third when Ashland provided some excitement of its own. With one out, Brandt doubled to right center. Woody followed with a single up the middle, but a TU error in centerfield scored the first AU run. Meredith was able to get a fly out in the next at-bat, but Hursey connected on a 1-0 pitch and drove the ball out of the deepest part of the yard to tie the game.
Wasting no time, the Eagles took a 6-3 lead with three unearned in the top of the fourth. With one out, AU got a base runner thanks to the second TU error. Erica Miller followed with an infield single, but Meredith recorded the strikeout to put two down. However, Brandt added an RBI single and Woody smashed a two-run double to put the Eagles up 6-3.
It took merely minutes for Tiffin to respond.
On the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth, Smith homered to cut the deficit to two. Baird knocked the 2-1 pitch over the right center wall to bring Tiffin within one.
"There was no sense of desperation even though we were down. We told the team it still had four chances. After the solo home run to lead off the inning, I knew we had a good shot," Nickerson said.
While Young gave up her only hit of the game in the top of the fifth, Tiffin took the lead for good on Baird's three run blast. However, a key hustle play earlier in the frame seemed to rattle Ashland. With one out, Lauren Mazzuca walked. Ashland did not hustle to get the ball to the pitcher and put its heads down, so Mazzuca took off for second and beat the throw easily.
"That play just really got in their heads. Giving up the walk and then to not get the ball back to the pitcher and Mazzuca to hustle and move into scoring position was huge," Nickerson said.
After Temple flied out, Smith fought off numerous good pitches to rally from a 1-2 hole to draw a walk in a nine-pitch plate appearance. Baird also battled back from a 1-2 deficit to run the count full. On the payoff pitch, she belted the ball to deep center and went yard to put Tiffin in the lead for good.
As exciting as the first five innings were, the last two were uneventful. Other than a Jessie Creakbaum double in the bottom of the sixth, both teams went in order as Tiffin pulled out the thrilling two-run victory.
Tiffin returns to action tomorrow in the championship game of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, taking on Ashland in a rematch after the Eagles posted a 3-0 win over Ferris State in the consolation bracket. Ashland will need to defeat Tiffin twice on Sunday to win the title. Game time is 10 am.
