ROSEMONT, Ill. - A tough loss to open game one and a comeback that fell short in game two was the storyline for the Bulldog Softball team as they opened up play in the Rosemont Dome Invitational near Chicago. The Bulldogs lost to Purdue Northwest 12-4 and Wisconsin Parkside 9-8.
They will return to action on Friday with games against Wayne (Mich.) State (9:00 a.m.) and Bemidji (Minn.) State (1:30 p.m.).
Purdue Northwest 12, Truman State 4
The Bulldogs were a pitch away from taking the first game of the Rosemont Dome Classic. However following a 3-2 walk to load the bases, Purdue Northwest brought in three runs on a triple and the floodgates opened in a 12-4 loss.
Truman State scored all their runs in the fourth inning. Charlotte Chelich started with a double. Pinch runner Caragan Baker moved up on a flyout and scored on an error. Calli Coombs singled in Cameryn Patterson and later Nina Fenasci doubled in a pair to make it 4-0 Bulldogs.
A sac fly in the fifth cut the lead down to 4-1.
That score stood until the top of the seventh. The first three hitters reached via bunt single, single and walk. Another hit through the right side scored two runs and had PNW with runners at second and third with no outs. Brooke Nutter came into pitch and struck out the first two hitters. The third batter faced worked the count full before drawing the walk to load them back up.
A bases clearing triple gave Purdue Northwest the lead and they would go on to score 11 runs in the inning to take the game 12-4.
Parkside 9, Truman State 8
The hangover effect off of the game one loss let Parkside race out to a 3-0 lead on the Bulldogs after the first inning.
Truman found their footing in the fifth and took a 4-3 lead. Charlotte Chelich brought in two runs with a single. Brieanna Klein got a RBI single to pull Truman even and Cameryn Patterson gave the Bulldogs the lead with a sacrifice fly.
That lead only lasted until the bottom of the inning as the Rangers scored three times to go up 6-4.
They added on three in the sixth to lead 9-4.
Emily Wood led off the seventh with a double. Chelich walked and Klein knocked them both in with a double.
Nina Fenasci brought in Klein to make it 9-7.
Sofia Birkenholz made things interesting with a two-out double and Madi McCarty tightened the screws with a single up the middle. Fenasci scored but pinch runner Caragan Baker was thrown out at the plate trying to tie the game.
