Softball team splits pair of games in Sunshine State
The Olivet College softball team split a pair of games in the Sunshine State today at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. The Comets rallied to win their first game, 9-4, over Nazareth (N.Y.) College, and in their second game, they fell to Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) College, 7-1.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team split a pair of games in the Sunshine State today at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. The Comets rallied to win their first game, 9-4, over Nazareth (N.Y.) College, and in their second game, they fell to Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) College, 7-1.
Nazareth plated three unearned runs in the bottom half off the first inning. Olivet got two runs back in the third when freshman Lorren Springer (White Pigeon/Constantine) scored all the way from first base on an errant throw by the third baseman and RBI-single by senior Alison Iuelle (Kelloggsville).
The Golden Flyers pushed their back to two runs with another run in the third. The Comets tied the game in the fourth with a pair of runs. Freshman Chelsea Luedtke (Millington) drove in the first one and wild pitch brought in the second run.
Olivet took the lead on a two-run single by junior Lauren Lenard (Dimondale/Lansing Catholic) in the fifth inning. The Comets added an insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by senior Marlene Packer (Grand Rapids/Creston) and two more runs in the seventh.
Olivet finished the game with 12 hits. Lenard was 3-for-4, with three singles, two RBI and two runs scored. Iuelle went 2-for-3. Luedtke also collected two hits, including a double. Freshman Maddie Siebenmark (Bridgman) improved to 2-2 on the season with a complete game pitching performance. She allowed just one earned run on nine hits, with no walks and three strikeouts.
Bethany Lutheran did all of its damage in the second inning, as it took advantage of two Comet errors to score all seven runs. Olivet broke up the shutout in the sixth inning when senior Ciara Santos (Lansing/Everett) hit a double to score Packer.
The Comets finished the game with only five hits, with Santos' double being the only extra-base hit. Sophomore Jessica Duell (Ionia) was credited with the pitching loss, as she gave up three earned runs on seven hits.
The Comets will return to the Lee County Sports Complex tomorrow morning to play Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 9 a.m. and Drew (N.J.) University at 11 a.m.