Fairfield Box Score
Maine Box Score
The Detroit Titans softball team found itself in another offensive shootout with Fairfield but fell just short to the Stags, 9-7, Thursday afternoon at the Rebel Games in Kissimmee, FL. The Titans also came up on the short end of a pitchers duel against Maine, 5-2.
Detroit (3-10) and Fairfield's offensive production picked up where they left off from the first meeting which saw both teams combine for 17 runs on 29 hits. In the second affair, both squads put up a combined 16 runs on 26 hits for a staggering two-game total of 33 runs and 55 hits.
The Titans equaled their highest scoring output of the season with seven runs while Fairfield garnered nine runs on 13 hits.
Junior Kristin Sclater (Taylor, MI/Kennedy) and sophomore Ellen Sinclair (Chatham, ON/Chatham-Kent) led the way for UDM via the long ball as each hit a two-run home run with two RBI. Sclater finished the game going 3-for-4 while Sinclair went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Junior Erica Houthoofd (Unionville, MI/Sebewaing Area) also added to the offense going hit 2-for-4.
Junior Jill Perry (Ortonville, MI/Brandon) picked up the loss going five innings while freshman Renee Zaccagni (Macomb, MI/Dakota) pitched the final two in a relief role.
Detroit jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning. Houthoofd reached on and single and was driven in by Sinclair's two-run shot. Junior Courtney Gill (Surrey, B.C./Earl Marriott) then got hit by a pitch followed by and double from Sclater. Sophomore Kristen Gulock then hit a clutch RBI single from the designated hitter spot to bring home the run.
However, UDM's lead would not last as Fairfield came right back to take the lead the bottom of the fame with four runs which were aided by three Titan errors.
The Stags were not done as they tacked on runs in the second through fifth inning to take 9-2 lead.
Detroit cut the lead to 9-4 with two runs in the fifth as Gill reached on a two-out single and was plated by Sclater's two-run home run.
After a scoreless sixth, Houthoofd and Sinclair both got aboard with singles in the top of the seventh inning. Slater drove a run in with a RBI single followed by a sacrifice fly from junior Caitlin McPartlin (Trenton, MI/Trenton) to pull UDM within two, 9-7, but that would be as close the Titans would get.
In Detroit's 5-2 set back to Maine in second game, freshman Kara Spinelli (Newman, CA/Orestrimba) had a solid effort on the mound going the distance with six strikeouts and no walks while surrendering nine hits.
After Main took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, senior Jacqueline Nortman (Groves, TX/Msgr. Kelly Catholic) led off in the bottom half with a single and was moved to second by a sacrifice bunt from Houthoofd. Sinclair then ripped a laser right at the first baseman for an infield single which brought in the run and tied the game at 1-1.
Defense and pitching prevailed as the game stayed tied until the top of the sixth inning when Maine rallied with four runs to take a 5-2 lead. In the bottom half, junior Jessica Liebner (Ortonville, MI/Brandon) hit a RBI single which allowed sophomore Breana Sesoko (Anaheim Hills, CA/Canyon) to beat out the throw to home plate with a slide under the catcher's tag to pull UDM closer at 5-2. However, the Titans were not able to generate any offense in seventh inning as Maine held on for the win.
The Titans close out the Rebel Games on Friday, March 6 with games against St. Francis (Pa.) at 9 a.m. and Maine at 1 p.m.
