CLERMONT, Fla. – The Carleton College softball team split a pair of games on Wednesday, besting Elmhurst University 3-1 before dropping an 11-5 contest to Bowdoin College.
Game One
Carleton 3, Elmhurst 1
Rachel Block improved to 4-2 this season as she twirled a four-hitter, allowing only the one run to an Elmhurst squad (3-4) that had been averaging 10.5 runs per game during its time in Florida.
The first three batters in the Carleton (7-5) lineup—
Megan Smith,
Bryanna Schaffer, and
Adrianna Wiggins—went a combined 7-for-11 with all three runs scored.
Consecutive hits by Smith, Schaffer, and Wiggins loaded the bases with none out in the top of the first, but the Knights came up empty as Elmhurst hurler Chiara O'Leary collected two strikeouts and a popout.
The top trio in the lineup loaded the bases again in the third inning, but this time
Grace Colburn followed with a sacrifice fly and
Livi Peters added an RBI single.
The Bluejays got a run back in the bottom of the frame, when Brenna Morley was hit by a pitch, stole second, and came around to score thanks to a pair of groudouts.
Carleton tacked on an insurance run in the fifth as Wiggins tripled and waltzed home on another Colburn sacrifice fly.
The Knights loaded the bases again in the seventh but could not tack on any insurance runs The Bluejays got the tying runs into scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, but Block slammed the door shot to secure the victory, which snapped a four-game slide for the Knights.
Game Two
Bowdoin 11, Carleton 5
Carleton got off to a quick start, building a 3-1 lead after the opening fame. Smith and Schaffer drew back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the first. Following a popout and a double steal, Colburn and Peters had consecutive RBI singles before
Alissa Maquar delivered a sacrifice fly.
Bowdoin (11-3) erupted for five runs in the top of the second inning, the big blow a 3-run home run by catcher Sydney Lang.
The Polar Bears tacked on two more runs in the third inning and another three unearned tallies in the fourth frame.
Carleton's other runs came on RBI doubles by Maquar and Schaffer in the third and fourth innings, respectively.
Becca Madsen tossed 3.0 scoreless innings of relief for the Knights.
Sydney Trentman dropped to 3-3 this season after absorbing the loss.
Up Next for the Knights
After a day away from competition Carleton will face University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 9:00 a.m. EDT / 8:00 a.m. on Friday, March 22 followed by an 11:30 a.m. EDT contest against
Lawrence University.
