Bennett shines in twinbill sweep of Northwood

April Bennett got a win and a save in two games against Northwood.
April Bennett got a win and a save in two games against Northwood.

Tiffin University (25-26, 13-15 GLIAC) finished its regular season on a high note, sweeping Northwood 8-5 and 3-2 behind strong relief pitching from April Bennett.

In the 8-5 opener, Bennett picked up the save in relief of Kimmy Reynolds, who went 4.2 innings and allowed 5 earned runs with 7 strikeouts and 5 walks. Bennett tossed the final 2.1 innings, allowing just 2 hits and no runs. 

TU exploded for 8 runs in the first two innings and then held off the Timberwolves over the rest of the game. In the first inning, Jamie Sevenish singled and then stole second base. Brooke Lambert then doubled and drove home Sevenish and later scored on a misplayed ball in left field as TU led 2-0 after one inning.

TU then put 6 runs on the board in inning two. Ally Rock was hit by a pitch and was followed by Sevenish and Libby Crow singles to load the bases. Lambert then singled for another RBI, and Gabrielle Hess then drilled a double to clear the bases for 3 RBI. Hess crossed the plate on a ground out to second, and Lindsay Graves capped off the scoring with a long home run to right field.

Northwood chipped away at the lead, touching Reynolds for 5 runs before Bennett came in and shut the door.

Sevenish finished with 3 hits, while Lambert also had 3 hits with a double and 2 RBI. Hess had 2 hits with a double and 3 RBI, while Graves also had 2 hits.

In game two, Tiffany Snell started and lasted 2 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs (both unearned). Faith Bogard tossed one inning of relief, allowing 2 hits. Bennett then came in with the score tied 2-2 and tossed 4 more innings of shutout relief, allowing just 2 hits. 

TU got two runs in the first inning. Lambert singled with two outs and, after stealing second, came racing all the way home on an errant throw by the catcher. Hess then doubled and came home on Graves's single to give TU a 2-0 lead.

After NU scored two unearned runs in the second inning, the two teams battled out of the bullpens. In the 7th, Hayley Kobie got a pinch hit single. Pinch runner Amanda Rock was then sacrificed to second and, with two outs, Crow singled her home to give TU the one-run lead.

In the bottom of the 7th, Northwood got runners on first and second with two outs, but Bennett finished off the victory by fanning the final batter.

TU will now take on Purdue Northwest in the opening round of the GLIAC Tournament held at Sandusky, Ohio at 10 am on May 4.