Doane wrapped the Friends University Classic on Saturday afternoon with a 7-5 loss to Ottawa University. The Braves are receiving votes in the NAIA poll. Ottawa rallied with three runs in the seventh inning to win the game. The Braves jumped out with a run in the first inning off of Tiger starter Jennifer Liddell but the Doane bats picked up Liddell in the bottom of the inning.
With one out, Deidre Cardoza and Hannah Kroese singled and Christy Kobza walked to lead the bases for Brooke Sampson. On a 0-2 pitch from Ottawa starter Morgan Beckler, Sampson drilled a grand slam, home run to center field to put Doane in front 4-1.
Ottawa picked up a run in the third inning to cut the lead in half but the Tigers got the run back in the fourth. Jen Montoya led off the inning with a solo home run to put the Tigers ahead, 5-2.
The Braves responded with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cut the Doane lead to 5-4 entering the seventh.
Liddell allowed back-to-back hits to lead off the inning and was taken out in favor of Megan Wingate. Wingate was unable to down the Braves bats as they strung together three more hits to plate three runs in the frame and take a 7-5 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, with one out Whitney Poole walked and Cardoza singled to give Doane the tying runs on base. Poole and Cardoza then stole third and second, respectively, to put the tying run into scoring position with one out. However, for the Tiger, they were unable to pick up a hit and ended the game with two runners stranded on base.
Cardoza and Kroese finished the game going 2-for-4 apiece with a run scored while Montoya was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI for the Tigers. Sampson had a game-high four RBIs for Doane. Five different players combined to score the runs for Doane.