Softball team wins twice to end spring break trip with 9-1 record

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team cruised to two victories – 7-4 over University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (Pa.) and 15-2 over Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) College on a sun-drenched morning at the Gene Cusic Classic and in the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida. With the two wins, the Comets end their spring break trip with a 9-1 record.

Olivet manufactured its first run in the bottom half of the first inning against Pitt-Bradford. Sophomore Haley Reed reached first base on an infield bunt single, went all the way to third base on a sacrifice bunt by junior Kelsey Scheenks and scored on junior Taylor Smith's groundout.

The Comets stretched their lead to 3-0 in the second inning when senior Sydney Tharp hit a two-run home run. Olivet added its final four runs to the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Junior Ashlynn Grubb drove in Reed with the first run with an RBI-double. With runners on second and third, sophomore Larissa Ludwick grounded out to bring home Smith.

Sophomore Konnor Geiger lined a double to the right-center gap to plate senior Christine Wood who came into the game to run for Grubb. Sophomore Olivia Peraino ran for Geiger and crossed the dish on a single by junior Carrie Chamberlain.

The Panthers scored their four runs in the top half of the seventh.

Eight Comets had a hit in the game, with Chamberlain and Reed collecting two apiece. Scheenks was 1-for-1 with three sacrifice bunts. Reed scored two runs, and Tharp drove in two. Grubb yielded the four runs (three earned) on seven hits over the seven innings to finish the trip with a perfect 5-0 record in the circle. She also struck out 10 and did not walk a batter.

Like the first game, Olivet used small ball to score its first run against Bethany Lutheran. Reed led off the game with slap bunt single up the middle, advanced to second on Peraino's sacrifice bunt, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Smith's groundout.

The Comets stretched their lead to 7-0 with a five-run second inning. All of the runs came around to score when there were bases loaded. Reed walked to bring home Chamberlain, Peraino singled home sophomore Katie Ordiway, Grubb drew a walk to score junior Devon Mayse, Reed scored on a failed pickoff attempt at third base and freshman Jordan Jones lined an RBI-single to plate Peraino.

The Vikings scored their first run in the third inning. Olivet got that run back on a leadoff home run by Smith in the top half of the fourth inning. Later in the inning, Ordiway singled home Ludwick with the eighth run of the game.

The Comets busted the game wide open in the fifth inning when they sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs. Wood doubled down the left field line and went to third when the outfielder kicked the ball out of play for an error. Peraino lined a single to score Wood. Smith was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base.

Senior Molly Renfroe responded with an RBI-single to score Peraino. Freshman Hannah Hoover had a pinch-hit single to fill up the bases. Jones lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Smith and move up the other runners one base each. Chamberlain singled through the left side of the infield to score Hoover and Renfroe.

Freshman Dominique McKillop was put into the lineup as a pinch runner. Ordiway then lined a single into left field to move McKillop to second base. Back-to-back wild pitches allowed McKillop to score and move Ordiway to third. After the second out was recorded, Wood hit her second double of the inning to score Ordiway with the final run of the inning.

Bethany Lutheran scored a run in the bottom half of the inning but it was not enough, as the game ended early due to eight-run mercy rule.

Olivet recorded 15 hits in the game. Ordiway was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored in her first start of the season. Chamberlain, Peraino and Wood each had two hits. Reed, Peraino and Smith all scored twice. Peraino, Smith, Jones and Chamberlain drove in two runs apiece. In the circle, Chamberlain allowed the two runs (one earned) on six hits, with six strikeouts, in the complete game performance.

The Comets will return to Michigan tomorrow and are scheduled to play their first home doubleheader next Friday, March 18, against Defiance (Ohio) College. Game time at the Cutler Athletic Complex is 3:30 p.m.