CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Western Michigan softball team dropped its second one-run game of this young 2011 season, falling to Central Connecticut State, 2-1, during the Broncos first game on Saturday at the USF Invitational. WMU ran into the fifth-ranked team in the country in its second game of the day, falling to Alabama, 12-4, in six innings.
The Broncos scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, trailing 2-0. Meredith Whitney led off the frame by reaching on an error. After advancing to second base on Myranda McDonald's sac bunt, Michelle Bendewald drove in Whitney on a single to right field. Bendewald, who was 2-for-2 against the Blue Devils, would be stranded at second when the fourth inning ended.
Lexi Jager singled in the fifth and advanced to second base on an error but was left there when Whitney popped out to the shortstop to end the frame. Western Michigan had its best chance at the come back in the top of the sixth with runners on second and third and no one out.
McDonald led off with a base hit to left field. Courtney Burnett, pinch running, advanced to second on an illegal pitch and then to third on Bendewald's double to center field. Burnett was thrown out at home on Christina Pigozzi's fielder's choice. Bendewal was thrown out at home when Jennifer Tschetter reached on a fielder's choice to end the inning. WMU went down in order in th seventh.
In game two, No. 5 Alabama scord four runs in th first, two in the second and three more in the fourth before the Bronco offense with four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Bendewald was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Whitney singled up the middle and Kayla Houston earned a walk to load the bases. Pigozzi's ground out earned the freshman her first collegiate RBI. Gracie Barstad singled to score Whitney. Coutrney Rousseau reached on an error but collected the RBI as Houston scored. Jager also reached on an error to score Barstad.
The Crimson Tide were aided by the long ball, hitting five home runs against Western Michigan to improve to 13-0 on the season. Alabama is the third nationally ranked team WMU has faced so far this season. The fourth will be No. 16 Missouri, which WMU closes out the USF Invitational against on Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m.
