Lakers end season with home split against Tiffin
SAULT STE. MARIE - Freshman pitcher Jillian Willette survived a late-game threat from Tiffin to notch her first career Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory. She scattered five hits and received clutch support from the Laker offense and defense as LSSU defeated the Dragons 6-2 during Game 2 of Sunday's softball double-header at Kaunisto Field.
Tiffin (22-23 overall, 9-16 GLIAC) won the opener 12-4.
Nikki Christensen was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and made outstanding catches in right field during the fifth and sixth innings of the nightcap. Lacey Knoop was 2-for-4, and Lorrie Chaperon, Nichole Dunford and Helena Zandarski added one hit each. Willette totaled four strikeouts and two walks.
Christensen had an RBI double in the second inning, and Zandarski singled and eventually scored on an error in the fifth inning as the Lakers took a 2-0 lead. Tiffin tied it, 2-2, on solo home runs by Jessica Ramirez in the fifth inning and Delaney Talmage in the sixth.
After Laker Rachel Hall led off the seventh inning with a walk, Chaperon, Dunford and Knoop strung together three straight singles. Dunford's hit scored Hall for a 3-2 LSSU lead. Amber Kern drew an RBI walk, and Dunford and Knoop scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Chevie Peralta-Everts and Christensen.
Hall, Chaperon and Dunford had two hits each, and Knoop and Kern added one each in the opener. Tiffin totaled 12 hits during Game 1, including a two-run homer by Talmage in the third inning and a grand slam by Tiffany Smith in the sixth.
Christensen took the loss, totaling six strikeouts and four walks.
LSSU finished its season 7-42 overall and 1-25 in the GLIAC.
