News-Current Report
FAIRBORN — The Wright State softball team was one out away from forcing a second, winner-take-all contest with Valparaiso, only to see Crusaders tie the game with a two-run single and tally the winning run in the eighth for a 5-4 decision in the Horizon League Championship game Saturday afternoon in Chicago.
The game was scoreless before the Raiders used the long ball to score three runs in the fifth. With one out, Libby Pfeffer reached on an infield hit and, one out later, Hanna Floyd connected on a two-run home run to center, her second of the season.
That brought Honnah Susor to the plate and she made it 3-0 with a solo homer to right, her third of the year.
WSU extended the lead to 4-0 in the top of the seventh as Alexis Mayle smacked a solo home run to left, her second of the season.
Wright State starting pitcher Ashley Sharp shut out Valparaiso on five hits through the first six innings, but the Crusaders would rally to tie the game in the botttom of the seventh. An error and a single put runners on first and second and, after a pop up, back-to-back hits drove in two runs.
A grounder for the second out pushed two runners into scoring position and Sara Stewart plated both with a single to center to tie the game at 4-4.
Valpo then came up with the game-winner in the eighth on a Stephanie Moreno double to right.
Four Raiders were selected to the All-Tournament Team in Sharp, Pfeffer, Macey Gunther and Vivi Marquez. Sharp pitched all 28.1 innings for WSU in the tournament, picking up two wins while striking out 13, while Pfeffer led the squad with a .364 batting average (4 for 11), Gunther hit .333 (3 for 9) and Marquez hit .267 (4 for 15) with two RBI.
Wright State finishes the season with a final record of 37-23.
All-Tournament Team: Maria Lacatena, Youngstown State; Miranda Castiglione, Youngstown State; Susan Knight, Cleveland State; Elaine Heflin, UIC; Libby Pfeffer, Wright State; Macey Gunther, Wright State; Vivi Marquez, Wright State; Ashley Sharp, Wright State; Lanie Callaghan, Valparaiso; Carly Trepanier, Valparaiso; Sam Stewart, Valparaiso; Taylor Weissenhofer, Valparaiso; Defensive Player: Susan Knight, Cleveland State; Batting Champion: Lanie Callaghan, Valparaiso; Pitching Award: Taylor Weissenhofer, Valparaiso; Tournament MVP: Sam Stewart, Valparaiso.
