Kissimmee, Fla. – The Washington & Jefferson College Softball team faced the Gordon college and North Park University in double header fashion today on the fourth day in Kissimmee at The Spring Games. After an 11-0 victory over Gordon and a hard-fought battle against North Park the Presidents ended the day with a split in a one run loss against the Vikings, 7-6.
 
W&J 11, Gordon College 0
 
Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and Julia DiPietro-Harvey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) both paced the Presidents' offense going 4-for-5 in the 11-0 victory.
 
W&J found their way onto the base paths in the first three innings but neither team found the score column until the fourth inning when the Presidents broke the game open putting up four runs on four hits.
 
A single up the middle by Allen started the hit parade. Allen then advanced to second on a pass ball before a single through the left side by Aliya Schraeder (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) pushed Allen home and placed Schraeder on third base in scoring position. A single up the middle from Freshman Anna Luxenberger (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock) scored the second run of the inning for the Red & Black.
 
After a pitching change by Gordon, a triple down the left field line by DiPietro-Harvey scored A. Luxenberger setting the score at 3-0. Mirranda Rinehart (Washington, Pa./Trinity) wore a pitch to put on another runner for the Red & Black before stealing second in the next at bat to put runners on second and third. Maddie Luxenberger (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock) and Kyra Blauth (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills both drew a walk in the next two at bats to load the bases and score for W&J in what would be the final run of the inning for the Presidents.
 
Gordon was able to lull the Presidents offense until the top of the seventh when the Presidents put up six more runs on five hits. Five straight singles from Allen, Schraeder, Deanna Gratton (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway), A. Luxenberger and DiPietro-Harvey loaded the bases and scored the first two runs for the Presidents before a double to left center from Rinehart scored two more that skewed the score even more in W&Js' favor, 8-0. After a pitching change and some defensive switches from Gordon the bats kept cracking as M Luxenberger singled to right field scoring DiPietro-Harvey and advancing Rinehart to third. A sacrifice fly from Olivia Vecchio (Eighty Four, Pa./Ringgold) and a single from Allen scored the final runs of the game for W&J.
 
Taylor Dunn (Washington, Pa./Trinity) earned the win in the circle with a complete 7.0 game in the circle for the Presidents. Dunn tallied three strikeouts in her second ever collegiate shutout.
 
North Park University 7, W&J 6
 
Allen led the Presidents in the game two offensive as well going 3-for-4. Savannah Bodnar (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and Rinehart had two hits apiece and DiPietro-Harvey, M. Luxenberger and Blauth tallied a hit each in the bout as well.
 
North Park jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after tallying two runs in the top of the first inning then holding W&J scoreless. The Vikings scored once more in the top of the third before the Presidents bats woke up. The first three batters reach on a hit by pitch, an error and a fielders choice that left runners on first and second. A single from Rinehart loaded the bases for the Red & Black setting up M. Luxenberger to push in a run as she reached on an error by the second baseman. A drawn walk from Blauth scored the second runner for W&J cutting the deficit to 3-2 before North Park could escape the inning.
 
North Park tallied another run in the fourth before W&J responded with a three run inning to take the lead.
 
DiPietro-Harvey led off with a single to right center field before Rinehart wore another pitch to put runners on first and second. M. Luxenberger put down and beat out a sacrifice bunt to the third baseman as the throw went sailing past the first baseman to score DiPietro-Harvey and set runners on first and third. Blauth then dropped a single in right field to score Rinehart and tie the game, 4-4. Bodner knocked a single next to load the bases. Gratton wore also wore a second pit in the outing, this time to bring home Blauth and gain their first lead, 5-4.
 
The Vikings tied the game 5-5 in the top of the sixth inning on two hits before holding the Red & Black scoreless in the bottom of the frame. North Park then put up two runs in the top of the seventh that outlasted W&J as they were only able to put up a single run in the bottom of the frame.
 
Macayle Thornhill (Warren, Ohio/Jackson-Milton) took the loss in the circle for the Presidents, throwing 6.2 innings before Dunn came in for the last 0.1 inning of relief. Thornhill waved three batters in the 6.2 innings of work.
 
Up Next: The Presidents enter their final day of The Spring Games on Friday (March 14). W&J returns to action with games versus Russell Sage (9:00 a.m.) and Lake Forest (2:00 p.m.).