LocalSportsJournal.com
LUDINGTON — Hart outscored Ludington, 6-4 in the seventh inning Thursday to win a wild 18-12 slugfest with the Orioles in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader at Oriole Field.
The Orioles plated a single run in the top of the fifth to salvage a 7-all tie in the nightcap that was called because of darkness.
Gabbryella Schmieding pitched all seven innings for the Pirates in the first game, allowing 12 runs on eight hits with three strike outs.
Abby Hicks belted a home run in the third inning for the Pirates, driving in four runs. She also scored two runs. Julia Bishop was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Kelsey Copenhaver was also 2-for-4, drove in a run and scored three times. Makenna Carrier finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored. Maryn Klotz drove home two runs with one hit and scored once.
Sam Hanson went all seven innings on the mound for the Orioles, giving up 14 hits, five walks and striking out six.
Jody Meisenheimer was 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Ludington offense. Ayiana Rangel finished 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI and Taesyah Hendricks was 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI. Sabrina Ramirez walked four times and scored four runs.
In the nightcap, the Pirates scored six runs in the third inning and took a 7-6 lead into the fifth before the Orioles pushed across a single run to get the tie.
The Pirates finished with just four hits, one apiece by Copenhaver, Schmieding, Carrier and Nora Chickering. Schmieding had two runs batted in, while Hicks, Carrier and Hailey Bond each drove in one.
Copenhaver threw all five innings for the Pirates and allowed only three hits and four earned runs while issuing six walks and striking out five.
Meisenheimer pitched for the Orioles and scattered five hits, five walks and registered six strike outs.
At the plate, Meisenheimer had a triple and Brynn Fortner ripped a double.
“What I liked was that the girls really competed throughout the doubleheader,” said Ludington coach Sierra Holmes. “We put the ball in play more tonight than we have in any of our previous games, and we even hit it hard at times. We still have to get better at making the correct plays when there are multiple runners on base. Base running also hurt us tonight, so those are things we are going to work on heavily the next few days.”
Hart (2-2-2) is scheduled to host Holton in a West Michigan Conference Rivers Division doubleheader on Tuesday.
Ludington (0-5) is back in action Friday with a home game against Fruitport.
