Outlaws split with Midwest Softball Club
Rios’ 3-hitter sparks victory in game one
Basehor The Lansing Outlaws were hoping to kick a four-game losing skid Wednesday night when they resumed league play at Field of Dreams.
They snapped the skid by earning a 4-0 victory in game one against the Midwest Softball Club, but a handful of errors in the nightcap led to a 7-5 Lansing loss.
The Outlaws (11-9-2) took advantage of a pair of errors by MWSC during the first inning of game one. Jessica Hauver led off the first inning by reaching base on a throwing error. Maggie Aus followed with a walk. Hauver then scored on a ground out by Dana Sanders and Aus scored from second on a throwing error.
The early runs were all the offense Lansing needed because pitcher Erika Rios dominated on the mound. She allowed just three hits through seven innings and struck out five. The Outlaws padded the lead with two more runs in the fifth inning when Jessica Kane and Becca Smith-Vandergriff both scored.
Lansing played flawless defense in the first game, but game two was another story. Six errors led to five of Midwest Softball Club's seven runs. Meanwhile, the Outlaws struggled with their bats and didn't record a hit until the fourth inning.
MWSC scored one run in the first and three more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead before Lansing finally responded. The Outlaws plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth as Melissa Crawford and Rios reached base on errors. Jessica Kane tripled and Kelly Fratzel doubled during the squence that helped tie the game at 4-4.
An error in the top of the sixth allowed MWSC to climb back on top, but Lansing tied the game again when it ran a double-steal. Aus was called out at second although it appeared the shortstop may have missed the tag. During the commotion Hauver stole home and tied the game at 5-5. Two more Lansing errors in the top of the seventh led to two more runs, however, and the Outlaws were unable to muster a final rally.