KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Loras College softball team is off to a 3-1 start through four games at THE Spring Games hosted in central Florida.
Loras 3, Wheaton College (Mass.) 2
The Duhawks scored all three of their runs in the first two innings, including two in the second inning. Wheaton (2-3) would score all their runs in the bottom of the third. Neither team was able to push across a run in the last four innings.
Loras (4-3) put themselves on the scoreboard first as
Payton Meier hit a two out double, then scored on an error to give the Duhawks a 1-0 lead in the first inning. In the second inning,
Olivia Martinelli singled to right before stealing second and advancing to third on a bunt single by
Whitney Leipold. Martinelli would score on a passed ball and Leipold would come around to score on a ground out by
Katherine Svigelj.
Shandi Rulli threw a complete game for Loras which included seven strikeouts, while giving up two earned runs.
Loras 4, Messiah University 1
Both teams took their time scoring as the first and only runs of the game were scored in the sixth inning.
Messiah (3-7) was able to plate their only run in the top of the frame off a fielder's choice by Mckenzie Shannon that scored Alexa Burger. Loras (5-3) would respond in the bottom half of the inning by recording four runs on five hits.
Clare Murphy put the Purple and Gold on the board with an RBI single that scored Svigeli, who reached on a fielder's choice. Then it was a bunt single by
Ava Franklin that brought home
Karlee Berge, who came in to pinch run. Finally, it was
Emily Monahan who delivered an RBI single that plated both Murphy and Franklin.
Ashlyn Hemm recorded a complete game in the circle, giving up four hits, while striking out five.
Loras 2, Montclair State University 3
Loras (5-4) would record one run in the first inning thanks to a leadoff double by Meier, followed by a single by Hughes that scored Meier. Montclair State (3-2) would score their only runs in the top of the third inning thanks to a SAC fly and a bases clearing double by Kayla Cosentio. The Duhawks were able to get a run back in the fifth inning but were unable to complete the comeback.
Loras 9, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg 0
Loras (6-4) wasted no time getting their offense going as they would score eight runs in the top of the first frame. Meier scored the first run of the game off a SAC fly by Murphy. A Hughes single would plate Franklin and Monahan who both reached on base hits. Then it was Berge's turn to score thanks to a base hit by Zoë Espiridon. Espiridon would later score along with Machovec off a double from Franklin. Loras would get one more run in the third en route to a 9-0 win in five innings. Svigelj recorded the win on the mound giving up just one hit while striking out three.
Up Next: The Duhawks will face the University of Rochester and Nichols College on Thursday, March 14 at 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. (ET) respectively.
