FORT MYERS, Florida – The Wilmington College softball team, after an early morning of travel, fell to Kenyon College 10-1 in six innings and to State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport 8-6 on the first day of the Fightin' Quakers' annual spring trip to Florida on Monday.
In game one, the Ladies, who entered the game 12-1 overall, opened up the contest with three straight singles with the final one coming off the bat of Emma Buckwalter that plated two runs. The Quakers got one run back in the bottom half of the inning as Bailey Hypes walked to open the frame and Hayley Suchland singled to right center. The two then executed a double steal to perfection with Suchland taking second and Hypes scoring.
Both starting pitchers – Izzy Rockroth for Wilmington and Nicole Bishay for Kenyon – settled in after the first inning. The Ladies got a runner in scoring position in the second and fifth innings while the Quakers had chances to drive in runs in both the third and fourth innings. Unfortunately for Wilmington, things unraveled in the top of the sixth. Lindsey Carter, who relieved Rockroth to begin the inning, looked to strand runners and second and third with a strikeout, but the ball was dropped. What followed – three hits, three walks and two hits by pitch – effectively ended the contest.
Rockroth took the loss, despite allowing just two earned runs in five innings with three strikeouts while Bishay earned the complete-game victory striking out three with two walks and two hits. Offensively, Suchland and Judaea Wilson had the Quakers' hits while Bishay and Sara Campagna had multi-hit games for the Ladies.
In game two, Brockport plated four runs including a three-run home run in the third, but Wilmington began to chip away as Arianna Layne doubled home Wilson in the third. In the fourth, it was Wilson's turn to drive in a run as she doubled to left center scoring Rachel Berry and Andrea Edmisten. Trailing 4-3, the Quakers' offense stayed hot in the sixth, as three hits and a Brockport error plated three runs for a 6-4 lead.
The Golden Eagles regained the lead in the top of the sixth with three unearned runs including two wild pitches. Brockport added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Alexis Stringfellow dipped to 0-2 on the season, scattering nine hits with six strikeouts and four earned runs in 5.2 innings. Carter finished the game, surrendering a single run and tallying four outs. Hali Jenner earned the win for the Golden Eagles in relief, allowing two hits with two strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
Offensively, Wilson went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored while Carter also had three hits. Cameryn Duggan had a three-hit game for Brockport while Annie Dipirro hit the three-run bomb.
Wilmington is scheduled to face SUNY Delhi and Nazareth College tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively.
