ALBION, Mich. – Competition is one of the foundational principles upon which Head Coach Leigh Ann LaFave will build the Albion College softball program.
And the Britons competed until the final out of their final doubleheader of the season Wednesday as they rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Concordia University 6-5 in the opening game of the non-league doubleheader. Albion also scored four times in the final inning of a 15-6 setback in game two.
Catcher Kaitlyn Hotchkin was Albion's leading hitter, going 3 for 5 with two walks. Third baseman Elena Luce, one of three seniors completing her collegiate career, went 2 for 4 with three walks.
Game One
Albion took advantage of three Concordia errors to score five times in the fourth inning. Lauren Oppliger and Cashmiere Jones hit RBI singles in the inning.
Pitcher Monica Brugnoni shut the door on Concordia from there, retiring the final nine batters in order. In fact, the Cardinals never hit the ball out of the infield the last three innings. Brugnoni finished with three strikeouts.
Hotchkin's two out single in the sixth drove in Alice Garvin with the game winning run.
Game Two
Jones and Hotchkin hit RBI singles as Albion scored twice in the third to cut the deficit to 4-2. Concordia responded by scoring 11 times in the fourth.
Albion did not go down quietly as Erica Wagner hit a two-run single and Brugnoni added a two-run double in the fifth.
