KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Washington and Jefferson College Softball team opened their Spring Break 0-2 on the day at The Spring Games in Florida on Sunday (March 9). The Presidents fell in a close game against Ursinus in the morning before dropping a last inning loss against Otterbein in the afternoon.
Ursinus 6, W&J 4
W&J struck first, stringing together three hits in the top of the first to hang their first crooked number of the week. Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford) led off with a first pitch single to left field followed by a first pitch hard hit ball through the left side by Maddie Luxenberger (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock) to put runners on first and second base.
Due to a fielder's choice, Allen was out at third on the next play with Mirranda Rinehart (Washington, Pa./Trinity) safe at first and M. Luxenberger advancing to second. Kyra Blauth was the first President to drive in a run on another hard hit through the left side. The hit scored M. Luxenberger from second and advanced Rinehart to third. Rinehart took off for home and beat out the throw sliding to safety while Blauth took the opportunity to advance all the way to third base to put W&J up 2-0 with two outs before Ursinus was able to record the final out and escape the first half inning.
Following the jumpstart inning, neither team saw the scoreboard until the fourth inning.
Starting Pitcher Taylor Dunn (Washington, Pa./Trinity) recorded two straight three-up three-down innings in the second and third for the Presidents. Dunn induced two ground outs, a fly out and three strikeouts in the two-inning stint. The Presidents had runners reach the base pads in the second and third innings on drawn walks and saw a single to right field from Deanna Gratton (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) in the fourth inning but were unable to string anything together in order to score.
The bottom of the fourth began the Bears slow start to tacking on runs to pull ahead of the Presidents. They put up a run in the bottom of the fourth, two runs in the bottom of the fifth and three in the bottom of the sixth, putting them ahead 6-2.
The Presidents had one final inning to reclaim a lead in the top of the seventh.
Anna Luxenberger (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock) led off with a single to left field. Allen moved the runner with a groundball to the pitcher to put the runner in scoring position with one out.
M. Luxenberger singled up the middle next to advance sister A. Luxenberger to third. M. Luxenberger then stole second during the next at bat that scored A. Luxenberger who took off on the throw to lessen the lead to 6-3. A double to left center from Aliya Schraeder (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) scored the next run for the Red & Black, 6-4 before Ursinus switched pitchers.
Despite another hit from Rinehart that put runners on second and third, and a fielder's choice that left runners on first and third the Presidents were unable to pass another baserunner over home plate leaving the final score 6-4.
Allen, M. Luxenberger and Schraeder all paced the Presidents offensively in game one with two hits each. Blauth and Schraeder also registered an RBI apiece.
Dunn received the loss on the mound for the Red & Black after three scoreless innings and 4.2 innings of work from the circle. Dunn allowed three runs on seven hits while waving five batters. Macayle Thornhill (Warren, Ohio / Jackson-Milton) relieved for 1.1 innings and allowed three hits on three runs with one strikeout.
Otterbein 6, W&J 0
Both teams were evenly matched throughout the outing with neither team scoring throughout the first six innings.
W&J tallied two hits in the bottom of the first and sixth innings but were unable to bring the runners the whole way around to home plate.
Otterbein rallied in the top of the seventh to score six runs, giving them a 6-0 advantage before taking the field for a three-up three-down inning to claim the 6-0 victory.
Schraeder, Allen, Sydney VanNess (Warren, Ohio/Howland) and Austine Kinney (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) all had a hit for the Presidents.
Thornhill took the loss in the circle for the Red & Black in game two. Kaylee Witner (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) started the game and pitched the first 4.1 innings before Thornhill came in for relief, pitching through the end of the fifth inning until the seventh when Dunn came in to close out the game for Thornhill.
Up Next: The Presidents return to action Monday (March 10), in day two of The Spring Games. W&J will take on Carlow in game one (4:15 p.m.) and Hiram in game two (6:00 p.m.).
