Softball splits with Bloodhounds on the road

After a strong 13 innings on Thursday night, the Washington softball team couldn?t hold on for a conference sweep.

The Demons went to Fort Madison and saw the Bloodhounds post a seven-run seventh inning, capped off by a walk-off three-run homerun, giving the Demons a loss in the nightcap.

Overall the Demons came away with a split, after claiming a 4-2 victory in Game 1, putting the Demons at 5-15, and marking their second conference win of the year.

?For 13 innings, we were the better team last night. I was really encouraged by what we brought to the table last night,? Washington softball head coach Ben Obermann said. ?In Game 1, we got down 2-0, and battled back to take the lead. It was great to beat their No. 1 pitcher who got us here in Washington last time.?

In Game 1, the Demons fell behind early, with Fort Madison notching a two-run homer in the first inning, but that was all the scoring the Bloodhounds would muster.

Molly Sparks shut Fort Madison down the rest of the way, and the Demon offense got rolling in the fourth inning.

?Molly pitched another great game for us and we played great defense behind her,? Obermann said. ?She didn?t miss a spot after the first inning. She didn?t have her curve working, but had a good fast and change.?

After earning a run in the fourth, Megan Mitchell opened the fifth inning with a hit, and came around to score on a Sparks? single, tying the game.

In the sixth, Brooke Stout hit an RBI double to put Washington in front, before Megan Mitchell sent Stout home with a single, putting Washington up 4-2, the eventual final score.

The Demons jumped on the Bloodhounds early in Game 2, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, and an 8-1 lead after 4 1/2 innings.

The Bloodhounds added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, before going on a tear in the bottom of the seventh, eventually winning on the walk-off homerun.

?Most of it was Fort Madison just beating us,? Obermann said. ?We had the lead going into the sixth, and we made a couple of defensive mistakes. They were hitting the ball hard, where we were not, and you have to tip your cap to Fort Madison.?

The Demons will turn their attention to Saturday?s tournament in Oskaloosa, where they will face a ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg team and Prairie City, Monroe.

?We are very confident,? Obermann said. ?You never know how you are going to bounce back after a tough loss, but that happens more times than you think. We are going to have a good practice on (Friday morning), then Saturday, get ready for two games. We?ll play Eddyville, who is ranked, and then PCM. If we can bring what we did last night into tomorrow, we?ll have a good chance.?