Tiger softball team hangs on by one run

DANVILLE - The New London softball team played yet another nail-biter on Wednesday night, this time against SEISC South Division rival Danville. The Tigers hung on for a one-run win, taking it 7-6.

Danville scored two runs in the first inning and held a 2-0 lead until the bottom of the second. New London tied the game with a couple of runs in the third to make it 2-2 after three frames.

New London took the lead with a run in the fourth, and then stretched that lead to 4-2 in the fifth, when Laney Loyd homered on the first pitch of the half-inning.

New London scored a run in the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 5-2, but Danville battled right back with three of their own in the sixth. Afer a run scored on catcher's interference, Alyssa Pfadenhauer knocked two more home with a two-out RBI double to knot the game up at 5-5.

Danville stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth. A two-out line drive was caught at short stop by Ashlyn McSorley, keeping the game tied.

In the top of the seventh, an error by the Danville second basemen helped give New London the lead back. Alexa Wenger sent a hard ground ball to the second baseman and it was bobbled enough to allow Wenger to reach in the nick of time, scoring one run in the process. Loyd followed with an RBI single to make it 7-5.

Danville scored one run in the seventh inning, but it wasn't enough. With two outs and a runner on first, Kara Krieger caught the final out in deep centerfield to lock up the win.

'That's how all our games are,” said head coach Mark Chiri, referencing a streak of close games for New London this year. 'It's a blur, every inning of every game.”

Coach Chiri praised his team for sticking in it, especially starting pitcher Chloe Heitmeier, who once again pitched a complete game.

'She's doing awesome,” Chiri said. 'Chloe is going to be the one we're going to go through. She pitched all winter, and we've got to trust our defense and play behind her.”

He also talked about his lineup's ability to consistently score runs.

'We don't have a bad hitter in the lineup,” Chiri said. 'Somebody is always hot.”

Loyd finished 3-4 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the offense. Wenger went 2-5 with an RBI, and Sofie Reighard went 2-4. Krieger and Marah Hartrick each knocked in a run as well.

Heitmeier gave up six runs (two earned) on 11 hits and three walks over her seven innings of work. She struck out five batters in the win.

New London is now 6-2 on the young season. They'll take on West Burlington on the road tonight (Thursday).