Softball Rides Power Surge To Split

It appeared as if the pitching staff would have to carry the team against Millikin after the Beavers could only muster two hits in the first game as they fell 9-1.  But in the second game, Lauren Rhodes put the team on her back and led the way with two homeruns in a 7-6 comeback victory.

The first game was an offensive struggle, as Blackburn only scored one run when Mary Chamberlain scored on a passed ball.  Unfortunately the Beavers didn’t help themselves on the field either committing five errors.  Mary Chamberlain and Miranda Hartman had the only hits in game one for Blackburn.

Game two featured a much more effective team at the plate. Blackburn scored two runs in the first inning when Bri Markel singled to set the table for Lauren Rhode’s first homerun of the game.  Millikin would go on to take the lead in the fourth after a two-run inning.

In the fifth inning, Blackburn bounced back and regained the lead putting up another two runs off of Miranda Hartman’s RBI single.  The lead changed again the next inning when Millikin put three straight hits together and drove in two runs of their own.  In the bottom of the sixth, Mary Chamberlain started the rally with a double followed by a Bri Markel walk. After a bunt by Aimee Kerley, Lauren Rhodes stepped up to the plate. Rhodes the hit her second home run of the game to put the Beavers up 7-5.

Rhodes who was also pitching, went on to shut down Millikin for the rest of the game and held on for the victory.  At the plate, Rhodes was the leading hitter with three hits and four RBI’s. Miranda Hartman also had three hits.  Blackburn now sits with a 14-7 record and will resume conference play against Eureka on Wednesday.