Charger Softball Splits Twin Bill With DMC

On one of the coolest evenings in recent memory for "summer" sports, the ACGC softball team split a doubleheader with visiting DesMoines Christian, winning the opener 7-6 before falling by a 12-5 score in the nightcap.

With temperatures in the fifties and a light drizzle falling by night's end, both teams were still able to put the ball in play throughout the chilly evening. The Lions opened the scoring in game one with two runs in their first at bat. The Chargers bounced back to knot the score it the bottom half of the inning by scoring two runs without a hit. Both Sophie Dorsey and EmmaKay McClain scored after getting on via a walk and an error respectively.

With the score tied at 3-3 going into the Charger's half of the fourth inning, ACGC took the lead for good when Tori Fuller scored from third on Kylie Young's infield fly. Young was automatically called out on the infield fly rule, but the Lions failed to catch the ball, and Fuller alertly advanced to home to give ACGC a one run lead at 4-3. (Runners advance at their own risk on the infield fly rule.)

When the Chargers added one run in the fifth and two in the sixth inning, it appeared that the they were "golden", but...the Lions made it interesting in the top of the seventh when they picked up three runs to get within 7-6 with a runner on second base. A pop fly caught by sure handed Charger second baseman Jorja Hoover ended the threat and the game, and ACGC picked up its first win of the season.

Mercedez Richter led the Chargers in hitting with a pair of singles, while Dorsey, Fuller, Mady Kelsey, and Olivia Van Meter each had one hit. McClain and Emerson Van Meter shared pitching duties with McClain going four innings and Van Meter pitching the final three. McClain gets credit for the win, with VanMeter recording a save.

The second game was settled in the first inning when the Lions erupted for nine runs on just two hits. They were aided by four Charger errors. The Chargers came back to score five runs in its second at bat on a couple of Lion errors, two walks and three hits, with Mady Kelsey's two RBI single being the big blow. But that was the end of the Charger scoring and the Lions added three more runs in the middle innings to get to the 12-5 final.

With the split, the Chargers are now 1-3 for the season and 1-2 in WCAC play. DMC is 1-2, with all three games being in conference play.

Game one score by inning:

DMC 200 100 3--6 7 3

ACGC 201 112 X--7 6 2

ACGC hitting: (AB-R-H-RBI): Dorsey (2-3-1-0) McClain (3-1-0-1) Kelsey (2-0-1-1) Hoover (3-0-0-0) Fuller (3-2-1-0) O.VanMeter (2-1-1-0) Young (3-0-0-0) Richter (3-0-2-1) Carney (1-0-0-0) E.Van Meter (2-0-0-0)

ACGC pitching: (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) McClain (4-4-3-2-1-2) E.Van Meter (3-3-3-3-1-1)

Game two score by inning:

ACGC 050 000 0--5 6 4

DMC 921 000 X--12 6 4

ACGC hitting: Dorsey(3-1-0-0) McClain (2-0-0-0) Kelsey (4-0-2) Rowley (0-1-0-0) Hoover (3-0-2-0)

Fuller (4-0-1-0) O.Van Meter (3-1-1-0) Young (2-1-0-0) Coffman (2-0-0-0) Richter (3-1-1-0) Carney (3-0-0-0)

ACGC pitching: Emerson (3-5-12-0-0-4) McClain (3-1-0-0-2-1)