ORLANDO, Fla. – The Washington & Jefferson softball team lost, 6-4, to Plymouth State (N.H.) before dropping its afternoon contest to Elmhurst (Ill.), 5-4 in eight innings, to close out its Rebel Spring games on Thursday, March 23.
 
Against Plymouth State, the Panthers struck first with three runs on two hits and an error in the top of the first inning. The Presidents got a run back, however, in the bottom half of the inning as Rachel Marx (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) led off with a walk followed by a bunt single from Dana Parker (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour). Marx came in to score two batters later on a wild pitch as the Presidents trailed 3-1 after the first.
 
The Presidents limited the Panthers to three runs over the next six innings, one in the second and two in the fifth, as they entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 6-1. With one out, Meghan Staab (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) singled to start the rally. Marx and Parker both proceeded to reach on errors to load the bases for Abby Cunningham (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) who singled to drive in Staab and Marx. Two batters later, Jamie Smith (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) singled to score Parker to round out the scoring.
 
Elmhurst struck first in the Presidents' second game of the day with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the second inning. The Presidents responded in the top of the third when Danielle Kochka (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) led off with a single. After advancing to second on a sac bunt, Kochka moved to third base on a single by Staab. Kochka then came in to score on an RBI groundout to shortstop by Marx.
 
Marx drove in the second Presidents' run of the game in the fifth inning on a bases loaded walk as Kochka scored. Two batters later, Cunningham also drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Alexis Creyer (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood) to tie the game, 3-3.
 
In the eighth inning, Marx was placed on second base to begin the inning and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Parker before coming in to score thanks to a base knock from Cunningham.
 
The Blue Jays came back, however in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two runs with the walk-off run coming on a two-out single.
 
Cunningham led the Presidents' offense with four RBI between the two games while she also collected two hits. Staab combined to go 3-for-6 at the plate with a run scored while Parker and Marx finished with two knocks each.
 
Taylor Andres (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) (1-4) took the loss in the first game of the day, pitching a complete game and allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits with three strikeouts. Kristen Fuertes (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) (0-4) received the loss against Elmhurst as she also threw a complete game and gave up five runs (one earned) and struck out two hitters.
 
The Presidents will be back in action when they open up Presidents' Athletic Conference play on Saturday, April 1, as they travel to Bethany for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.