KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Washington & Jefferson softball team (2-4) split two contests on day three of The Spring Games. W&J fell 8-1 to the Wheaton (Mass.) Lyons (4-1) before closing out the day with a tight 4-3 win over the Russell Sage Gators (1-2).
W&J 1, Wheaton (Mass.) 8
Senior
Deanna Gratton (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) helped lead the Presidents, going 1-for-3 from the plate against the Lyons.
The Lyons took the lead early to open the contest in the first inning of play. W&J held Wheaton to two scoreless innings before the Lyons picked up two additional runs in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. The Presidents responded with a run of their own from a single down the left field line by sophomore
Maddie Luxenberger (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township).
The Lyons pulled away with five runs in the final inning to score an 8-1 win.
Senior
Kaylee Witner (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) got the start for the Presidents and threw 3.2 innings. Freshmen
Braelyn Altman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) and
Olivia Dyer (Ravenna, Ohio/Field) came into pitch for relief.
W&J 4, Russell Sage 3
Junior
Mirranda Rinehart (Washington, Pa./Trinity) helped lead the Presidents in the win. Rinehart went 1-for-4 from the plate, driving in one run.
Russell Sage broke the ice first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third. Neither team would go away that easily, though. The Presidents responded with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth to take a late 3-2 lead. Freshman Jacie Hilligsburg drew an important walk to start the W&J rally. A single from senior
Julia DiPietro-Harvey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) and smart baserunning by W&J got the team on the board. Two sacrifice hits from Gratton and senior
Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford) gave W&J the lead.
The Gators found a way through the strong Presidents' defense to tie the game up at three. Sophomore
Sydney VanNess (Warren, Ohio/Howland) sparked one final rally for the Red & Black. A sacrifice from senior
Ashley Theimer (Woodstock, Md./Marriotts Ridge) moved the runners into scoring position before a single from Rinehart drove in what became the winning run.
An efficient bottom of the seventh secured the 4-3 win for the Presidents.
Altman was granted the win with 1.1 innings pitched. Sophomore
Macayle Thornhill (Warren, Ohio/Jackson-Milton) got the start and pitched 2.1 innings, forcing four fly outs and three groundouts. Freshman
Haylee Young (Zanesville, Ohio/John Glenn) came in for relief and secured three strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.
W&J returns to action on Thursday (March 12) after a short day off. The Presidents will take on the Blackburn Beavers and the Benedictine Eagles on the fourth day of play at The Spring Games. Game one will be at 9:00 a.m., and game 2 will be at 11:30 a.m. Both games will take place at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee.