KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 17, 2023) – An adjusted schedule has created some exciting action for the Loras College softball team during its spring trip as the Duhawks claimed a pair of shutout wins on Thursday.

The Duhawks (6-3) started 2-0 at THE Spring Games with a pair of wins on Tuesday but dropped their next contest 8-6 to Amherst College on Wednesday morning, their lone game of the day. On Thursday, the pitching led the charge with a pair of shutouts in an 8-0 win over the University of the South (Sewanee) and a dramatic 1-0 extra-inning win versus the University of Southern Maine.

Amherst 8, Loras 6 (F/9)
The Duhawks and Mammoths traded big blows in this game as they battled into extra innings, marking the second such game the Duhawks have played on the spring trip.

After an Amherst run in the first and three more in the top of the third, it was Loras' turn for a breakthrough inning as it plated five runs in the frame, all with two outs. A two-out error form the Mammoths led to all runs being unearned as senior Grace Houghton and sophomore Emily Monahan each tallied two-RBI hits.

The Mammoths wound up tying the game in the top of the seventh after an infield error, sending the game to extra innings. In the ninth, Amherst scored twice in the top half on a two-run home run from Rachel Lovejoy. The Duhawks had the tying and winning runs on base in their half, but a pop out ended the threat to saddle Loras with its first loss of the week.

Loras 8, Sewanee 0 (F/6)
This one was never in doubt as the Duhawks took out their frustrations from Wednesday on the Tigers, cruising to an 8-0 victory. The scoring started in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly from Houghton before three bases-loaded walks in the second inning extended the lead to 4-0.

Senior Abby Jones tallied a sac fly in the fourth before two big fly's in the sixth inning. Sophomore Whitney Leipold belted a two-run homer before Houghton launched a solo shot just two batters later, putting Loras up 8-0 and bring the mercy rule into play.

On the mound, that offensive support was more than enough for freshman Rachel Peat, who pitched the whole 6.0 innings while allowing just five hits and zero walks.

Loras 1, Southern Maine 0 (F/10)
The Duhawks' trend of not playing the conventional seven innings continued in the final game on Thursday as an all-time classic broke out between them and the Huskies. With just eight hits combined in the 10-inning thriller, both pitching staffs refused to give in as Loras sophomore Ashlyn Hemm battled USM's Makena Mulcahy and Belle Snyder.

After leaving the bases loaded in the second inning, the next-best scoring chance for the Duhawks came in the bottom of the seventh as they forced the starter Mulcahy from the game. With the winning run on base, Snyder got the pinch hitter Nicole Bendig to fly out to right before striking out Leipold to send the game into extras.

No more real threats materialized until the bottom of the 10^th when a walk and an infield single loaded the bases. After a popout from Houghton for the first out, senior Jadyn Anderson drew a walk in a 10-pitch at-bat to score sophomore Clare Murphy for the game-winner. The Duhawks drew four walks in the game with two coming from Anderson.

Hemm earned the win by tossing all 10 innings and totaling a whomping 121 pitches. She allowed only two hits and two walks while striking out 14 Huskies hitters in her latest display of dominance.

The Duhawks play twice more on Friday, March 17, as they battle Bethel University at 9 A.M. and North Park University at 11:30 A.M.