[Softball] Softball Falcons win two wild ones on opening day of Tucson Invite
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Friends University Falcons came away with two dramatic victories on the first day of the Tucson Invite today (Mar. 12) in Tucson, Ariz.
The Falcons have now won seven straight overall and are 10-4 on the season.
Carolyn Dallimore (SR/Patterson, Calif. ) was the hero of the first game, doubling home Aleigha Gale (JR/Winfield, Kan. ) in the bottom of the seventh to give the Falcons a walk-off victory over the Valley Center State University Vikings in their first action of the day.
One batter earlier, Gale singled in Fallyn Marshall (JR/Syracuse, Utah) with the tying run after Marshall tripled to lead off the inning.
The Falcons trailed 2-0 early, but pulled even on a two-run single by Laila Spracklen (SR/San Diego, Calif. ) in the third and jumped ahead when Gale scored on a stolen base attempt by Angelina Mendoza (FR/Temecula, Calif.).
VCSU scored a run in the fourth to tie the score again and regained the lead with an RBI double by Makenzee Stone in the top of the fifth.
Marshall (3-4) and Gale (2-4) sparked the Falcons at the top of the order with two runs apiece.
Dallimore also had a pair of hits in the Falcons' victory over the Vikings.
Spracklen struck out nine, walked five and allowed three earned runs over seven innings to get the victory.
Riley Perryman and Sierra Crocker each had two hits for VCSU.
The following tilt was even wilder, with the Falcons pulling out a 13-12 victory in nine innings over the Viterbo University V-Hawks.
An RBI double by Alex Vick (FR/San Antonio, Texas) in the sixth was followed by run-scoring singles by Makenna Mitchell (SR/Orange County, Calif. ), Jayden Estabrook (SO/Tracy, Calif. ) and Gale as the Falcons charged back from an 11-7 deficit to tie the score.
Now in the ninth inning in a 12-12 gridlock, it was again Dallimore coming up clutch with an RBI single to chase home Mendoza for the eventual winning run.
The Falcons still had to get through the bottom of the inning, and with the tying run on second due to the international tiebreaker, Vick mowed through the frame 1-2-3 to preserve the Falcon victory and be credited with the win.
Vick was critical to the Falcons coming out on top by pitching four innings and surrendering just one unearned run.
Gale went 4-of-6 against the V-Hawks and drove in two runs, with Marshall going 3-of-6 with two runs scored to again fuel the Friends offensive unit.
Dallimore had three hits and three RBIs, while Priscilla Mora (SO/Beaumont, Calif. ) also produced three hits for the Falcons.
The Falcons also got a pair of hits from the trio of Vick, Mitchell and Estabrook in the 21-hit attack.
Makayla Nortman, Brittney Slocum and Megan Jardine each had three hits for Viterbo.
Tomorrow (Mar. 13) at the Tucson Invite, the Falcons will square off against Doane University at 11 am (CST) and Dickinson State University at 1 pm (CST).