RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Lakenheath left the tying run at third as Wiesbaden upset the top-seeded Lancers, 7-6, on the opening day of DODDS-Europe Division I softball tournament.
Lakenheath — which pushed across three runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth — got leadoff hitter Brynn Lipor on with a bunt single to open the bottom of the seventh.
Lipor stole second and, after a strikeout, went to third on a fielder’s choice. Wiesbaden pitcher Melissa Mueller then got Morgan Parkeson to ground out to short to end the game.
“We played harder than we’ve played all year,” said Wiesbaden catcher Kim Kirk, whose fourth-seeded Warriors had lost their regular-season games at Lakenheath 18-1 and 20-5 on May 1. “Before the game, we talked about not giving anything away.”
Mueller walked just one batter and fanned five.
Jenn Jennings and Kirk had two-run singles in the second inning for Wiesbaden.
In another D-I game played early Thursday, second-seeded Ramstein, behind the two-hit pitching of Jenn Morton, blanked third-seeded Heidelberg, 6-0.
Division II
Patch pitcher Lauren Sanchez overcame early wildness in the Panthers’ 7-5 victory over Mannheim.
Sanchez hit three batters and walked four in the first inning. But she rebounded and struck out seven straight batters. Freshman Kasy’e Lalau struck out the side in the final inning to pick up the save.
In other early D-II games, third-seeded AFNORTH downed Hanau 25-1 as Laura Rivera picked up the victory. But the Lions then lost to Bitburg, 7-2.
Patch thumped Hanau, 20-5, in its second game of the day.
Division III
Alconbury pulled out a 10-9 come-from-behind victory over Baumholder.
With the score tied at nine going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Alconbury’s Keisha Hunt walked and stole second. She then scored the winning run after Baumholder catcher Shawntae Hall overthrew the third baseman as Hunt tried to steal third.
It was a bitter end for Hall, who earlier had driven in four Bamholder runs. Freshman pitcher Jessica Madison struck out seven Alconbury batters.
In other games, London Central surprised defending D-III champ Rota, 15-6, and Incirlik battered Lajes, 21-3.
In a game concluded late Thursday, Rota rebounded to hammer Incirlik 23-0.
