GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Warriors were back to work on Saturday as they looked to follow up a 14-run outburst from yesterday. Instead, they rallied around pitching in game one as the Warriors won a low-scoring affair before settling for another Arizona split.
Game one was a back-and-forth pitching battle, as Jessup's
Katie Blankenheim went toe-to-toe with ACU's Savannah Smith. Neither arm allowed a run through the first five innings, and for Smith, she also kept the Warriors out of the hit column during that time.
The no-hitter ended in the sixth as
Lexi Watson led off the inning with a single. One hit was all Jessup needed to spark a rally as
Kaylee Winn followed that up with a double in the gap, plating the speedy Watson from first.
Blankenheim tossed six shutout innings in game one, surrendering just two base hits to the ACU batters.
Serena Navarrete allowed a pair of hits in the seventh, but nobody would score as the scoreless frame earned her the save.
Terra Goetz got the starting nod in game two, coming off four shutout innings in Surprise yesterday. ACU got to Goetz early, plating three runs in the first inning, all of which were unearned. Goetz would only pitch the first inning as the Warriors went to the bullpen for the remaining six frames.
Now 6-3, Goetz has allowed just three earned runs over her last seven outings (27.0 IP).
Jessup turned back to Navarrete as the first arm out of the pen. She lasted four innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
Bella MacFarlane also tossed an inning.
The Warriors got on the board in the fourth, mounting a comeback on back-to-back RBI doubles from
Bailey Reid and
Olivia Dominguez. The rally clawed the Warriors within one, but a two-run single from ACU in the fifth gave them a 5-2 lead.
Now 13 games into their GSAC Championship defense, the Warriors sit at 7-6 in conference action, half a game behind Menlo for second place. Hope International currently leads the conference with a 10-2 record.
Jessup will take a break from the GSAC next week as they are scheduled to visit Southern California for four non-conference contests. The trip begins with two against Saint Katherine on Tuesday and concludes with two more at Westcliff on Saturday.
The Warriors will return to GSAC play on April 14 when Hope International comes to town.
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Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
