CLERMONT, Fla. -- On its penultimate day in Florida, the Washington & Jefferson softball team split its two contests, besting SUNY New Paltz, 4-3, before dropping a 6-2 decision to Thomas (Maine).

The first game saw W&J hold onto a lead in the seventh inning, despite the potential winning run reaching scoring position, but the Presidents were unable to recover from a slow start in the second game. W&J moves to 3-7 on the year, including 3-5 on its southern swing at the PFX Spring Games.

The Presidents scored the first run against New Paltz in the third inning. With one out, second baseman Rachel Johnson (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) and center fielder Dana Parker (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) hit back-to-back singles to put two runners on. The next batter, right fielder Ally Doty (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson), hit a single down the the third-base line that snuck inside the bag and allowed Johnson to score from second.

In the fourth, W&J tacked on two more runs to extend the lead to 3-0. Pitcher Taylor Andres (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) led off with a single and went to second on third baseman Brooke Lapia's (Oakdale, Pa./Chartiers Valley) sacrifice bunt. Left fielder Brooke McCleester (Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh Valley) singled to put runners on the corners and then stole second as the Presidents boasted two runners in scoring position with one out. Following a strike out, Johnson reached on an infield single that brought Andres in and McCleester later came home on a single up the middle off the bat of Parker.

New Paltz didn't have its first base runner against Andres until the leadoff batter of the fourth reached via a bunt single. After being sacrificed to second, that runner later came in to score on a two-out base hit, 3-1.

The two teams traded runs in the bottom of the fifth (NP) and top of the sixth (W&J). Shortstop Meghan Staab (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) and Johnson hit singles to open the top of the sixth and Staab scored when Doty reached on an error, 4-2.

Heading to the bottom of the seventh, W&J's two-run lead remained. The frame opened with two base hits and then the bases were loaded after it was ruled that Staab did not have possession of the ball when she tagged the runner from second on a ground ball fielder's choice. Andres got the next three batters to pop up, sacrifice fly and ground out to first to end the game at 4-3 and keep the tying run at third.

Andres improved to 2-3 on the season by scattering six hits and giving up just two earned runs while striking out three and walking two.

Johnson continued her torrid start to the season, her first after focusing on tennis her first two years at W&J, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and run in the opener. Parker, Doty and first baseman Danielle Kochka (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) all had multi-hit games as well.

Against Thomas, the Presidents fell behind 4-0 after three innings and the two runs that scored in the top of the fourth were not enough. Third baseman Addy Helffrich (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) doubled to lead off and came into score on a one-out single by Andres. Andres went to second on a wild pitch and went to third on an infield single by left fielder Jamie Smith (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) before scoring on a 3-2 RBI single to right by Staab.

Courtney Garver (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel) got the start and fell to 0-2 this year, working the first 1.1 inning and giving up five hits and three runs (two earned). Kristen Fuertes (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) tossed the next 5.0 plus, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) with two strike outs and four walks. Andres came in to record the final two outs, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Helffrich, Kochka, Smith and Staab all had two hits in the loss. Johnson ran her hitting streak to 10 games with a base knock.

The Presidents conclude play in Clermont, Fla., with two games on Thursday agaisnst Elmhurst (Ill.) (11:30 a.m.) and Bowdoin (Maine) (2:00 p.m.).