By: Stephen Wagner
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay softball team (16-25, 8-10 HL) played host to league-foe Detroit (8-39, 4-13 HL) this afternoon, welcoming the Titans to Phoenix field for the first of a three game series. The Phoenix offense was able to get things going early, but the defense could not limit the Titans' run tally enough to get a victory. Detroit used a six-run fifth inning to take control of the game and post an 8-9 victory over the Phoenix.
Detroit 9, Green Bay 8
Detroit managed to get on the board in the first inning after Ferstle tagged one to the left side directly at the third baseman and hustled down the line, making the throw unnecessary and plating Astorga in the process.
The Phoenix responded to the one-run inning by the Titans in the bottom of the first, bringing home three runs to lead things by two. Hailey Mohrfeld led things off with a triple in the first Phoenix at-bat, extending her hit streak to 11 games and putting a runner in scoring position with no outs. Hailee Frey used the next at-bat to bring home Mohrfeld from third with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt that allowed Frey to reach first as well from on a throwing error. The next run scored in the inning was due to an Allie Taylor single to the left side that plated Frey and gave Green Bay a 2-1 advantage. Alyssa Johnson brought home the final Phoenix run of the inning, ripping one deep into center field for a sacrifice fly that plated Abby Brinkmeier.
Green Bay added one run in the second inning and seemingly took control of the game, leading the Titans 4-1 after Mohrfeld turned in a ground-rule double and scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.
However, the Titans would make a push to get back in the game in the top of the third, scoring two runs off of two hits and a Phoenix error to pull within one run of the Green Bay.
Green Bay then increased its lead to two runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Kelli Hutchinson was allowed to touch home on a Brinkmeier single to first base.
Detroit broke the game open in the top of the fifth inning, with the Titans plating six runs to gather its first lead of the contest since the top of the first. The runs were plated off of six hits and the second miscue of the game by the Phoenix defense. The six-run inning gave Detroit a two-run lead with only two innings to play.
In the sixth inning, Briana Cavin and the Green Bay defense allowed zero runs and only a single hit, giving Green Bay the chance to make a comeback. The Phoenix managed to add one run in the sixth off of another RBI single from Taylor.
The Phoenix defense retired the side in order in the top of the seventh but was unable to add a run in the bottom of the inning, falling to Detroit 9-8.
Heather Sanderson received the nod for the Phoenix, gave up six hits, five runs and fanned a pair of batters. Cavin entered in relief of Sanderson in the fifth inning, allowing four hits, three runs and striking out three batters in 2.2 innings of work.
Mohrfeld and Taylor were both 3-for-4 at the plate in the contest with a pair of RBIs.
Green Bay concludes its regular season tomorrow afternoon in a doubleheader against Detroit with the first pitch of the afternoon slated for 12 p.m. and the second game to follow at 2 p.m.
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