DONALDSON, INDIANA – Both teams entered the day with a .500 record in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Western Conference, and both teams left the day with a .500 record in conference as Lansing Community College defeated Ancilla College 8-6 in eight innings in game one and Ancilla won 3-1 in the nightcap.
It was the first Ancilla victory over Lansing Community College in the twelve years of Ancilla softball, breaking a 45 game winless streak against the Stars.
The win also puts Ancilla at 12-12 in the MCCAA West, a school record for wins in conference.
“This is probably the most excited I’ve ever been for a split,” joked Ancilla coach Scott Reese after the game. “We have been so close so many times, but this team pulled through, coming back from a heartbreaker in game one to get game two.”
Game one was a see-saw affair. Both teams scored two runs each in the first and second innings to tie the game at four. Lansing put up one in the fourth and Ancilla answered with two in the bottom of that inning, putting the Chargers up 6-5. Lansing tied the game in the seventh and took the lead in the eighth, keeping Ancilla scoreless in the bottom of the frame to preserve the victory.
Gretchen Gieseking was 4-4 with 3 RBI for Ancilla. Courtney Clark had three hits for the Chargers, while Kaitlyn Dreibelbis and Kayla Dell had two hits each. Maura Hancock added 2 RBI for Ancilla. Clark pitched all eight innings for the Chargers, striking out six and allowing just three earned runs.
Game two’s scoring was over after the first three innings. Ancilla scored their only three runs of the game in the bottom of the first, while Lansing picked up their run in the third. Trisha Dillon scattered eight hits and struck out three to preserve her seventh win of the season. Dreibelbis, Clark, and Kayleigh Schroeder had two hits each for the Chargers, while Hancock and Clark had one RBI each.
Ancilla enjoys their only day off for the week today, before heading on the road to face Kellogg Community College on Thursday and Kalamazoo Valley Community College on Friday, both 3:00 p.m. starts. The Chargers return home on Saturday to celebrate Sophomore Day and will host Glen Oaks Community College at 1:00 p.m.
