Softball Finishes Florida Trip with Win Over Loras, Loss to Adrian
CLERMONT, Fla.- The Eastern Nazarene College softball team collected a 3-1 win over Loras before falling to Adrian 5-3 Thursday in the team's final contests in the Sunshine State.
The Lions finish the spring break trip with a 7-5 overall record with the results. The Duhawks move to 5-2 on the year while the Bulldogs, who are receiving votes in the latest NFCA National Poll, improve to 6-1 overall.
Bailey Olaveson (Lakeside, Calif.) notched a team-best four base hits, three runs scored, and one RBI on the day. Kiley Ozaki (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) landed three hits, drove in one RBI, and scored one run. Taylor Brandt (Napa, Calif.) chipped in with a pair of base knocks while Kori Bow (Shaftsbury, Vt.) added one hit, one RBI, and one run scored.
In the penultimate game of the trip, Eastern Nazarene edged Loras 3-1.
The Duhawks grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Gabriella Garcia dashed home from third base on a sacrifice bunt by Hadalyn Anderson.
The Lions answered with a run in the top of the second to knot the score at 1-1. Olaveson crossed the dish on a groundout by Adriana Montuya (American Canyon, Calif.).
Eastern Nazarene manufactured a pair of runs in the third to nab a 3-1 edge. Ozaki scorched a single up the middle to plate Bow and Olaveson raked a two-out base knock to left to drive in Dominique Santos (Lancaster, Calif.).
Montuya threw five innings in her fourth start of the spring and registered two strikeouts. Elisabeth Schaffer (Benton, Pa.) worked two scoreless innings in her second relief outing and finished with four strikeouts to collect her second save on the year.
In their 12th contest in seven days, the Lions capped off the afternoon with a 5-3 loss to Adrian.
Eastern Nazarene captured a 1-0 advantage with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Schaffer picked up her first RBI of the season as she laced a single to centerfield to score Olaveson from second base.
The Bulldogs produced a pair of runs in the fifth to snag a 2-1 edge. Lauren McCulligh singled to left to drive in Madison Budde before Barbara Strahan crossed the dish as Katie Connolly reached on a fielder's choice.
The Lions evened the game at 2-2 with one run in the home half of the sixth. Darcy Castro (Garden Grove, Calif.) poked a one-out single to right field to knock in Olaveson.
Adrian tallied three runs in the top of the seventh inning to secure a 5-2 lead. Budde tagged up and motored home from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hope Kapelanski. Connolly followed with an RBI single to centerfield to plate Jamie Bell. Hailey DeChalk landed a two-out base hit to drive in Jalyn DeForest.
Eastern Nazarene scored once in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 5-3. Bow bounced a single back up the middle to score Ozaki from third base.
In the circle, Schaffer spun her seventh complete game of the spring and recorded 12 strikeouts.
Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene will return to the Bay State to visit Simmons March 21.