LEESBURG, Florida -- The Washington & Jefferson softball team split a pair of games on Monday afternoon at the Spring Games at the Sleepy Hollow Complex in Leesburg, Florida. The Presidents suffered a 7-4 loss in game one against Middlebury College. W&J responded with a 5-4 victory in game two to gain the split. 

Game 1 - Middlebury 7, W&J 4

Middlebury buillt a 7-0 lead over the W&J going into the top of the seventh inning but the Red and Black did not go quietly. The Presidents recorded four runs on three hits and took advantage of two errors in the final frame.

Alyia Schraeder (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette) opened the inning with a leadoff single. A double down the line by Savannah Keough (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) pushed Schraeder to third base. A hit by pitch loaded the bases for Peyton Eckenrode (York Haven, Pa. / Northeastern), who kept the line moving with an RBI single for W&J's first run. 

A pair of errors by Middlebury allowed Keough and Labbe to score to cut the deficit to 7-3. Kasey Scears (Washington, Pa./Chartiers Houston) drew a based loaded walk to plate Eckenrode. That put the potential-tying run on base but W&J could get no closer. 

Schraeder was the only President to record a mutli-hit game in the opener. 

Game 2 - W&J 5, Centre 4

W&J had to rally to pick up the game two victory. The Colonels built an early lead by scoring four runs on five hits in the top of the second. The Presidents quickly answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. W&J took advantage of an error and two walks to load the bases with no outs. Dewick scored on a double play and Scears came home on an error by the catcher that made it 4-2. 

After a scoreless top of the third, the Presidents tallied two runs in the bottom of the frame. Sarah Labbe (Belgrade, Maine/Messalonksee) singled and scored on an RBI double by Eckenrode, who then stole third before scoring on a single by Olivia Dewick  (Pitsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) to tie the score at 4-4. 

The score remained tied until the top of the seventh. Scears led off with a single before advancing to second on a single by Katie Bartram (Luthersville-Timonium, Md./Towson). A hit by pitch loaded the bases with no outs for Sydney Petrowski (Lemont Furnace, Pa./Connellsville), who groundout out to bring home Scears and give W&J a 5-4 lead. 

Petrowski recorded the final three outs in the seventh to finish off her second victory of the season. She scattered seven hits and allowed four runs. Petrowski struck out a pair and did not issue a walk. 

W&J improves to 4-2 overall. The Presidents will have Tuesday off. They return to action Wednesday when they face Carleton and Union on Wednesday at Legends Way in Clermont, Florida.