Ciera Cramer
After taking a 9-3 loss in the opener of Friday’s River States Conference-opening softball doubleheader, IU Columbus was one out away from being swept by West Virginia Tech.
But after pinch-hitter Lily Retz grounded out for the second out in the bottom of the seventh, moving pinch-runner and fellow Columbus North graduate Destinee Allman to second, the Golden Bears threw behind Allman to try to catch her off second. The throw went all the way to the left field fence, allowing Allman to come around to score the tying run.
The Crimson Pride then pushed across a run in the eighth to pull out a 2-1 victory and salvage the doubleheader split at Columbus East.
“It’s really easy to kind of fall just down for the rest of the day after you lose Game 1,” IUC coach Tommi Stowers said. “But I think it really showed their determination and perseverance going into Game 2, knowing that they still had seven innings to play,”
Justice Cash led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to left center. After Emma Chism sacrificed her to third, Ciera Cramer came through with a single to center to score Cash with the winning run.
“I was looking for a pitch to hit, but mostly, I was looking for an in or outside pitch that I knew I could drive,” Cramer said. “I’m just really proud of my team being able to string those little hits and little moments, being able to execute and look for our pitch.”
“It’s just great to see that every win we’ve had this year was a collective win,” Stowers added. “It takes a village here, and that was a prime example. We had Lily Retz come in for a pinch hit, and Destinee Allman came in as a pinch runner and gave us that first run. Emma Chism came in later in the day and got a bunt down and gave the opportunity to another freshman, Ciera Cramer. As long as you know it’s one-pitch-at-a-time and passing the bat to your teammate, I think we’ll win a lot of ballgames.”
Cramer went 3 for 4 in the second game for the Crimson Pride (3-4, 1-1).
“We just settled back down (after the first game), calmed ourselves and said that we can win,” Cramer said. “We know we’re capable of winning.”
Destiny Forler, who was last year’s River States Conference Pitcher of the Week, came through with another big performance in Friday’s second game. She threw a five-hitter, striking out eight and walking two.
“Destiny put on a show,” Stowers said. “That’s back-to-back weekends that she’s been great.”
IUC will host another doubleheader Saturday at Columbus East. Rio Grande, ranked No. 24 in NAIA, will visit, with the first game starting at 2 p.m.
