Rebellion, Dallas split doubleheader
McKINNEY, Texas – Maddie O’Brien tripled in Sami Garcia with one out in the top of the seventh inning to provide the run that would give the Pennsylvania Rebellion a 3-2 win over Dallas in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday night at The Ballfields at Craig Ranch.
The Charge salvaged a split of the doubleheader by winning the second game, 1-0, in eight innings.
The Rebellion won for the fifth time in 15 games this season after amassing just nine wins last year.
That run produced by O’Brien’s triple would prove valuable because Dallas would score a run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a double by Renata Davis that scored Danielle Henderson.
Haylie Wagner, a left-handed pitcher who led Michigan to the NCAA Division I softball finals, got the save in relief of Emma Johnson, who went four innings. Wagner allowed one run over three innings and Johnson one of four.
The Rebellion took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Alexa Peterson, walked, went to second on Kristyn Sandberg’s walk and scored on an error by center fielder Mikey Kenney on a single by Virginie Anneveld.
The Rebellion made it 2-0 when Peterson doubled and pinch-runner Victoria Hayward scored on a sacrifice fly by Mandy Ogle.
Dallas made it 2-1 in the fifth when Eri Yamada singled in Angie Quiocho.
In the second game, Rebellion starter Dallas Escobedo and Jolene Henderson were locked in a pitching battle until the eighth inning.
The international tiebreaker, which starts an inning with a runner on second base in the eighth inning of a game that is part of a doubleheader and the 10th inning of a single game, was used.
The Rebellion could not score in the top of the eighth because Virginie Anneveld was thrown out at third base on an infield single by Yuri Masuyama. Henderson got the next two outs in grounders.
In the bottom of the inning, Kazuki Watanabe started the inning on second base and was sacrificed to third. The Rebellion loaded the bases with two intentional walks. Escobedo then walked in the winning run, missing on a 3-1 pitch to Lauren Haeger.
Escobedo struck out seven and walked five, two intentionally. Olivia Watkins had two hits.