It was a wild back and forth game at Bluffton on the softball diamond, where Heritage would hang on to the 12-10 over the host Tigers.
Bluffton (5-10, 2-4 ACAC) jumped out to the lead in the bottom of the first inning after Josie Phillippe doubled, scoring two runs, and Jillian Phillippe had an RBI single.
Heritage (10-7, 3-1 ACAC) would answer in the third with three of their own. Isabella Myers would hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Teaghan O’Shaughnessey. Hadlee Shipp followed that with an RBI single, and would later score on a wild pitch.
The Patriots added four more in the fourth, as Myers had an RBI single, Shipp had a two-run double, and Adalina Bacon had an RBI single.
Bluffton responded in the fifth, as Kierstynn Reed would ground out to Bacon, allowing Kamryn Ault to score. Two batters later, Josie Phillippe hit a solo shot to left field, bringing the score to 7-5 in favor of the Patriots.
Bacon would drive in two runs in the sixth for Heritage, and would get three crucial insurance runs in the seventh. Shipp hit a two-run single, but would be thrown trying to advance to second. Two pitches later, Sydney Martin hit a moon shot that cleared the scoreboard in left-center field.
Then came the dramatic finish…
With Shipp still in the circle for the Patriots, the Tigers would get their bats working. Following a single by Ault and a double by Reed, Kiah Craig would hit a bomb to left field, making the score 12-8. After a groundout, the Tigers got two singles and a walk to load the bases. Kenley Smith delivered a two run double, but that’s all Bluffton would get, as Shipp would end the game on a strikeout and a groundout.
Shipp went the distance, allowing ten runs, all earned, on 13 hits. She struck out five while walking two. Josie Phillippe took the loss for the Tigers, going 5 1/3, allowing nine runs.
Next up for the Patriots will be a battle with Jay County at home on Thursday, with a 6pm start.
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