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Sheffield drops DH to Brockway

It was deja vu all over again on Wolverine Mountain Wednesday.

Sheffield hosted Brockway for a softball doubleheader and, aside from the final scores, the games were almost mirror images of each other. The Rovers would build a lead, the Wolverines came back to tie only to fall behind again late as Brockway swept the twin bill.

The Rovers won Game 1, 13-8, and took Game 2, 9-6.

“We got behind early in both games and came back to tie late,” Sheffield coach Mike Grubbs said. “We just couldn’t finish.”

Brockway put the first run on the board in the first inning of Game 1.

Emily Botwright drew a leadoff walk and stole second. She came home on Mackenzie Overbeck’s RBI single one out later.

Sheffield answered with a run of its own in the home half.

Marissa Grubbs drew a walk with one out, then stole second and third. Emily Leichtenberger reached on a dropped third strike and Grubbs raced home on the play to tie the game at 1-1.

Brockway retook the lead in the fifth.

Madison Barefield reached on a dropped third strike and stole second. Barefield moved to third when Botwright reached on an error.

A second error on the play allowed Barefield to score and gave the Rovers a 2-1 lead.

The Rovers appeared to have broken the game wide open with a 6-run sixth. A single and a walk were followed by four straight base hits and it was suddenly 7-1. Botwright later came around to score to push the lead to 8-1.

The Wolverines took advantage of Morgan Lindemuth’s wildness on the mound in the bottom of the inning to even the score.

The first five batters of the inning walked. With one away, Allison Schmader and Tori Childress hit back-to-back 2-run singles to make it 8-7. Childress later came around to score to tie the game at 8-8.

Early in the top of the seventh, it looked like Sheffield would come to bat with a chance to walk the game off. The first two Brockway batters ground out and flew out. Then the Rovers offense came alive. They got back-to-back doubles, followed by a walk and error. Overbeck then hit a bases-clearing triple and later came around to score to put the Rovers ahead 13-8.

Sheffield drew a walk with two outs in the home half, but couldn’t match the Rovers’ 2-out magic.

– – –

Brockway carried the momentum into the early stages of Game 2.

The Rovers opened with consecutive walks and Overbeck brought those runners in with a double. Another walk followed and both those runners came around to score and put Brockway up 4-0.

Brockway tacked on another run in the second, but Sheffield got on the board in the bottom of the inning.

Mareena Bailey and Schmader both walked and scored to cut the lead to 5-2.

Neither team was able to score again until the sixth.

The first two Rovers hitters reached on an error and Lindemuth brought them in with a double. Overbeck walked and came home on a double to put Brockway up 9-2.

Sheffield cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning.

Schmader singled and Emily Leichtenberger and Grubbs walked to start the frame. Schmader came home on a wild pitch Leichtenberger scored on Ashley Frederick’s ground out and Grubbs came around on a Jerika Dexter double to cut the lead to 9-5.

The Wolverines held the Rovers off the board in the seventh. With two away in the home half, Schmader hit a single and Leichtenberger reached on an error. Grubbs followed with a run-scoring single, but the Rovers induced a ground out to end the game.

Sheffield hits the road Friday for a game at Forest Area.

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