Softball team posts 1-1 record at Gene Cusic Classic

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team posted a 1-1 record today in its fourth day of competition at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. Behind a complete game pitching performance from sophomore Jessica Duell (Ionia), the Comets shutout Mass. College of Liberal Arts, 3-0, in their first game. In the second game, Drew (N.J.) came from behind to beat Olivet, 5-2.

Against MCLA, the Comets scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Freshman Chelsea Luedtke (Millington) led off with a walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Lexi Johnson (Horton/Addison) and to third on a passed ball. Freshman Lorren Springer (White Pigeon/Constantine) then laid down a perfect squeeze bunt. On the play, the third baseman threw the ball into left field, scoring Luedtke and allowing Springer to get to third base. A wild pitch allowed scored Springer to scamper home with the second run.

The score stayed 2-0 until the sixth inning when Olivet pushed across an unearned run. Senior Alison Iuelle (Kelloggsville) crossed the plate on another errant throw by the third baseman off a batted ball by Luedtke.

Duell needed only 74 pitches to gain her first collegiate shutout win in the circle. She allowed only two hits, and did not let any MCLA runners reach third base safely. At the plate, Springer recorded two hits, while five other Comets each had one.

Against Drew, Olivet scored a run in the top half of the first inning when seniors Lindsey Maas (Pinckney) and Marlene Packer (Grand Rapids/Creston) hit back-to-back doubles, with Packer's two-base hit scoring Maas. The Comets added to their lead in the third inning. Johnson began the inning with a single. She moved to second on Springer's sacrifice bunt and to third on Maas' single. Iuelle lined a two-out single through the left side of the infield to score Johnson.

The Rangers tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third. Olivet had two great opportunities to score the go-ahead run, leaving eight total runners stranded in the fourth through sixth innings, including the bases loaded in the latter two innings. Drew plated the winning runs in its half of the sixth and kept the Comets off the scoreboard in the seventh.

Olivet out-hit the Rangers, 10-9. Maas reached base safely in all four of her plate appearances, twice on singles and one each on a double and a walk. Luedtke collected two hits, while Johnson was 1-for-1 with a single, sac bunt and walk. In the circle, Duell was the losing pitcher, surrendering four earned runs.

The Comets will wrap-up their Spring Break trip with two games tomorrow at the Cape Coral Sports Complex. They will play Wis. Lutheran College at 9 a.m. and University of Dallas at 11 a.m.