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CONWAY, Ark. – HBU hit three homes runs, including
Demi Janak's ninth-inning blast, after totaling just two in the first eight games of the season to edge Western Illinois by a score of 10-9 in nine innings in the opening game of the Central Arkansas Invitational on Friday at Farris Field.
HBU (5-4) struggled to get going at the plate with seven strikeouts in the first three innings. In the bottom of the third, the Leathernecks (2-8) got on the board with a pair of runs on a pair of hits, utilizing a pair of stolen bases and a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
Heidi Jaquez led off the Husky fourth with a single to left center, moving up to second on a Janak sacrifice bunt, before
Nicole Shedd's first home run of the season knotted the score at 2-2.
Brooke Bushman put HBU ahead 3-2 in the fourth with a solo shot over the right field fence with one out for her first career home run. With two outs in the inning,
Libby Brown drew a walk and then advanced to third on a Jaquez double. Janak drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Shedd, who singled up the middle to bring in two more runs and give the Huskies a 5-2 lead.
The Huskies opened the top of the sixth with four consecutive singles, with Bushman and
Amber Lotz both driving home a run. The baserunners advanced to second and third on a Brown groundout, putting Bushman in position to score on a Jaquez grounder to short. Janak came up with a two-single through the right side to give HBU four runs for the inning and a 9-2 lead.
Western Illinois came alive in the bottom of the sixth with the first six Leatherneck batters reaching thanks to five hits and a hit batter. It took three pitchers in the inning for the Huskies but senior
Emily Mueller was able to stem the Western Illinois rally at six runs for the inning, maintaining a one-run lead for HBU.
Aly Compton led off the seventh with a single to center, advancing to third with one out on a Meghan Henson single to right. Kelsey Marlow then singled to second, bringing Compton home and tying the score at 9-9. Mueller escaped the inning, stranding a pair of runners to send it to extra innings.
Mueller retired the Leathernecks in order in the eighth, setting the stage for the Huskies in the ninth. With one out and a 2-2 count, Janak smacked her second home run of the year to left center to give HBU the 10-9 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Mueller again retired the Western Illinois batters in order for a 1-2-3 inning and her third win of the season.
Shedd finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with a career-high four RBI and a run scored. Three other Huskies enjoyed multi-hit games, with Jaquez, Janak and Bushman all recording two hits. Bushman and Jaquez both scored two runs while Janak and Bushman both drove in a pair of runs.
Mueller (3-2) earned the win in the circle with four innings of relief work, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out four.
Stephanie Buenrostro started for HBU, allowing four earned run through five innings of work.
The Huskies will play two games on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Central Arkansas Invitational with Arkansas-Pine Bluff slated to start at 10:00 a.m. and Louisiana-Monroe at 5:30 p.m.
