Pinneo and Lee Power Broncos to Sweep at CSM
(Omaha, NE) – Going on the road to take on College of Saint Mary on Wednesday, senior Lauren Lee and junior Kaylee Pinneo each hit two home runs on the day, leading to 7-3 and 7-2 victories.
(Omaha, NE) – Going on the road to take on College of Saint Mary on Wednesday, senior Lauren Lee and junior Kaylee Pinneo each hit two home runs on the day, leading to 7-3 and 7-2 victories.
In the first inning of game one, senior Katyn Kappler started the game with a single up the middle, then three batters later, Lee blasted a two-run home run to left, putting the Broncos up 2-0. The Flames got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on a one-out double by knocking it in with a two-out single, making it 2-1.
After the first batter in the bottom of the fourth was retired, three straight Flames reached safely, beginning with a double and single, and ending with both runners scoring on a triple to right field to take a 3-2 lead.
Lee tied the game at three in the sixth inning with her second home run of the game. The Broncos had a chance to add onto their lead in the inning, getting runners on first and second with one out, but the Flames got out of the inning with a pair of flyouts.
The Flames loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but senior pitcher Kiera Brack got out of the inning on a groundout without giving up a run.
Hastings used that momentum to generate offense in the top of the seventh, as sophomore Graecy Graf and sophomore Sofia Carroll reached safely in two of the first three at-bats of the inning. With runners at the corners, a groundout by senior Lexie Mudloff scored Graf to go up 4-3. Lee was walked on four pitches and Pinneo made the Flames pay for it, smashing a three-run home run to left.
College of Saint Mary got a couple of one-out hits in the bottom of the seventh, but Brack closed the game out with a popout and a strikeout to hold on for the 7-3 win. Brack threw all seven innings to earn the win, allowing three runs on 11 hits, striking out five. Pinneo went 3-4 with the three-run home run. Lee was 2-3 with a walk, driving in three runs on the two home runs.
In game two, no scoring occurred until the third inning when College of Saint Marty led off the inning by reaching on an error that came around to score with two outs to go up 1-0. Pinneo homered to tie the game in the fifth, then after the Flames took another brief lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Mudloff tied the game at two with a one-out RBI-single to short.
Hastings broke the game open with five runs in the seventh. With one on and two out, Kappler singled in freshman Jenna McClain. Following an error by the Flames, Mudloff's RBI-triple scored two more runs. Lee drove in Mudloff on an infield single and after the Broncos loaded the bases with a single and error, the Flames committed another error on a ball hit by senior Sam Skinner, bringing home Lee to go up 7-2, which held to be the final score.
Pinneo went 3-3 in game two with a double, a home run, and a walk. Mudloff was 2-4 with a triple, three RBIs, and a run scored. Sophomore Kassidy Beavers pitched all seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits, striking out one.
Up next, Hastings will host Mount Marty in a doubleheader for Senior Day on Saturday, Apr. 25 in their regular season finale, beginning at 1pm.
