CLERMONT, Fla. –The Carleton College softball team opened its Spring Break trip up with a 2-0 victory over Trinity College (Conn.) and a 7-4 triumph versus Lasell University.
The Knights improved to 6-0 on the season despite turning in their two lowest-scoring output of the season.
"We grinded through two tough games today," said Carleton head coach
Amy Erickson. "The team worked hard to overcome the heat and travel lag to pull out these wins. We keep taking it one day at time and keep looking forward to the next game in front of us."
Game One – Carleton 2, Trinity 0
Rachel Block improved to 3-0 this season, notching her first shutout by twirling a four-hitter with five strikeouts and no walks.
Carleton tallied its first run in the top of the third inning when pinch hitter
Amy Chen singled down the right-field line, allowing
Becca Madsen to scamper home. Doubles by
Reagan Wills and
Megan Smith led to the other Knights' run in the seventh.
Block kept the Bantams (6-4) bats in check throughout the game and lowered her season ERA to 0.82, second-lowest among MIAC pitchers this season.
Game Two – Carleton 7, Lasell 4
Righthander
Sydney Trentmen (3-0) proved to human but still went the distance for the victory. She surrendered her first runs of the season, as the Lasers (4-6) solved the rookie for four runs on seven hits and four walks. Trentmen fanned seven, improving her season total to 28 in 17.0 innings.
Carleton scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, with the runs coming via RBI singles from
Adrianna Wiggins and Wills.
Lasell answered with two runs in the top of the second, but the Knights countered with RBI base hits from
Esme Song and
Bryanna Schaffer to push Carleton back in front 4-2.
Both sides scored single runs in the fifth before Carleton capitalized on two walks and two wild pitches to push across a pair of tallies in the sixth frame.
Schaffer finished 3-for-4 to lead a Carleton lineup that collected nine hits worked eight walks in the contest.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will face College of Saint Mary (Neb.) and Middlebury College on Sunday, March 17. The first game starts at 11:30 a.m. EDT / 10:30 a.m. CDT.