OSHAWA, ON - In another addition to the inaugural Sledgehammer Series, the Durham College women's softball team handed the St. Clair Saints their first two losses of the season in a pair of thrillers.
In the first game of the day, the Lords and the Saints put on a low-scoring pitcher's duel that went right down to the end.
Grace Hearns (Napanee, ON) hit a single in the bottom of the third with Abi Suffel (Whitby, ON) on base to send her home and open the scoring. In St. Clair's next time up to the plate they hit the ball over the outfield wall for a solo home run to tie it.
With Jessica Greene (Stratford, ON) on base, Jocelyn Shelton (Aylmer, ON) made the difference when she hit a double pushing Greene home for the go-ahead run and ultimately the game winning run as the Lords would win 2-1.
Emily Glendinning (Plattsville, ON) was a force on the mound, facing 28 batters over 7.0 innings. She struck out six, walked only one and allowed a single run.
At the plate, both teams recorded four hits in the game with Hearns, Greene, Shelton and Suffel each making contact once for the Lords.
After two scoreless innings to begin the second game, the Lords were forced to play from behind when the Saints scored three runs in the top of the third.
Following a single hit by Suffel with two outs on the board, Hearns tripled to pick up the RBI and put the Lords on the board before the end of the inning.
St. Clair restored their three-run lead in the fourth inning, and a scoreless fifth saw the Lords down with time running out.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Hearns tripled to begin the inning and was quickly sent home two batters later when Greene singled. After stealing third, Natalie Clemens (Marmora, ON) would later cross home plate to bring the Lords within one.
With the bats hot - Greene, Kaleigh MacIntyre (Bowmanville, ON) and Alana Smale (Port Perry, ON) all scored before the end of an ultimately five-run inning to take the lead back and win it 6-4.
Morgan Salter (Battersea, ON) pitched the majority of the game, going 6.1 innings on the mound before Hannah Oke (Brooklin, ON) casein to finish it off with two outs left in the game.
Hearns and Ryleigh Easton (Bowmanville, ON) both posted multi-hit games going 2-for-3 at the plate. Easton also hit for two RBI's.
The Lords are back home at Babcock Field on Sunday with only two homesteads left on the schedule. Tomorrow's games against the Lambton Lions begin at 1:00 and 3:00 PM.
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