'Roo Softball Drops Pair against Hardin-Simmons

The Austin College softball team dropped a pair of close games against Hardin-Simmons on Saturday, falling 4-3 in extra innings in game one and 6-4 in game two. The 'Roos are now 1-9 overall this season with the two narrow losses.

In game one the 'Roos fell behind 3-0 after three innings before Mallory Rossman doubled home Charlotte Trudell in the fourth, and then in the top of the seventh Jessica Baker doubled home Jenny Dowsey and Rossman drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Sophia Hernandez to tie things up and force the extra frame.

However, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Hardin-Simmons got a double followed by a walk-off single to end the game. Rossman finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and Hernandez went 2-for-2 and also went the distance on the mound, allowing four runs on 15 hits in 7.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts to absorb the loss.

In game two, the 'Roos once again fell behind early as Hardin-Simmons plated four runs in the first two innings before Lindsey Pollard scored on an error to make it a 4-1 game in the third. HSU added another run in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 5-1 game, but Austin College would add three runs over the next two innings to cut it to a 5-4 game.

In the fifth inning Rachel Ramos scored on a Rossman single, and in the sixth both Chelsea Delaney and Dowsey scored on a single to center by Jessica Baker to cut it to a one run deficit. However, the 'Roos would be unable to complete the comeback as Hardin-Simmons added one more run in the bottom of the sixth.

Baker went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and Delaney went 2-for-2 to lead the 'Roos offensively, and Rossman went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Amber Pemberton took the loss for the 'Roos in relief, surrendering four runs on three hits while walking six batters in 3.0 innings of work.