BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Senior utility player
Victoria Granchelli hit a first-inning, three-run home run to set the tone and HBU held on to win its fourth-straight game, 6-5, over Alabama State to complete day one of the Samford Tournament Friday.
V. Granchelli and
Shay Orsak each led HBU (5-7) with three RBIs. The duo plus
Melissa Herman had two hits in the game.
Shannon O'Connor (2-4) went the distance in the circle, as she allowed eight hits, five runs, and four walks while striking out one.
Alabama State (3-8) was led by Jenna Mae Thorne, who went 3-for-3 at the plate. Carly Evans went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and a run scored. Melissa Christmann started in the circle and took the loss, as she allowed six hits, six runs, and three walks in 3.1 innings. Rachel Mills tossed the final 2.2 innings and gave up one hit and one walk while whiffing four.
HBU took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on V. Granchelli's two-out blast to right-center field. Orsak's RBI double in the bottom of the second scored
Libby Brown and increased the Huskies' lead to 4-0.
Alabama State cut the deficit in half in the top of the third on Evans' two-run double.
After the Hornets scored a single run in the top of the fourth to cut HBU's lead to 4-3, the Huskies added a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to increase their lead to 6-3.
Caitlin Gunn drew a one-out walk and
Michaela Granchelli was hit by a pitch, placing runners on first and second.
Erin Alaniz pinch-ran for Granchelli and both she and Gunn scored on a two-run double by Orsak.
The score remained 6-3 until the top of the seventh, when Evans hit a one-out, two-run home run to left field, cutting the Hornets' deficit to one, 6-5. After a fly out for the second out of the inning, Kendall Core was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a single by Aleesa Yanez, placing the tying run 60 feet away. But O'Connor got a fly out to end the game.
HBU faces host Samford Saturday at 1:30 pm.
