ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
The Tabor softball team split a doubleheader against St. Mary at Leavenworth Saturday, winning 7-5 and losing 2-1.
In the opener, Holly Lindsay was on the mound, and the Hillsboro sophomore received plenty of offensive support.
Jacqueline Schnell and Porsche Davis opened the game with singles and both scored on a one-out double off the bat of Johannah Love to stake Tabor to a 2-0 lead. Love later scored on a two-out single from Hillary Driffill to make the score 3-0.
Tabor added a run in the fourth when Driffill singled, stole second and scored on an single by Andrea Mendel.
After Saint Mary cut the lead to 4-1 in their half of the fourth, Tabor went back to work in the top of the 6th inning. Mendel singled with on out, stole second and eventually scored on a Spire error to make the score 5-1.
Julie Wall walked and Schnell doubled, and both runners scored when Davis blasted a double to give the Bluejays a 7-1 lead.
Saint Mary scored two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings before Tabor recorded the final out in the 7-5 win.
In the second contest, Love was on the mound, and although the sophomore pitched well, allowing just six hits, she absorbed the 2-1 loss.
The Spires pieced together three hits and both of their runs in the third inning.
Tabor responded in the fourth inning when Love belted a triple and scored on a wild pitch. But the run proved to be the only tally Tabor managed.
The Bluejays were held to just two hits-Love’s triple and a double off the bat of Schnell.
The split keeps Tabor in the thick of the KCAC race with a 5-5 conference record. The Jays are 9-18 overall.
Tabor played at Southwestern on Monday and will host conference-leading McPherson on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Bethany-Tabor took a huge step toward legitimacy by sweeping Bethany last Tuesday in Hillsboro by scores of 2-1 and 1-0.
In the opener, Holly Lindsay delivered a strong pitching performance, allowing just six hits and four walks in the one-run victory.
Tabor got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Andrea Mendel collected the Bluejays’ first hit of the game, a lead off single. Mendel stole second and third base and scored on a wild pitch.
Bethany tied the game in the seventh inning with a single, walk and another single. But Johannah Love got the final out to set up the dramatic conclusion.
Facing a 1-1 tie, Hillary Driffill was placed on second base as part of the International Tie Breaker (ITB) rule.
Following a steal of third base, Driffill scored the winning run on an error at third base to seal the 2-1 win.
In the second game, Love threw a three-hit shutout.
Tabor struggled offensively, too, managing only two walks through four innings. The Bluejays didn’t collect their first hit until Driffill singled with one out in the fifth-but she was eventually stranded.
Tabor finally scored in the seventh inning when Love led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice by Lindsay and scored on an error on a ball hit by Driffill.
After the Swedes loaded the bases in their half of the seventh, Love shut them down to preserve the 1-0 win.
“We all got a little nervous there in the seventh, but Jo came through when we really needed her,” coach Tina King said. “The difference was that we only made one error in both games combined, and our pressure on Bethany caused them to make mistakes.”
With the victory, Tabor improved to 4-4 in conference play and 8-17 overall.
