Softball team wins Sunday games at The Spring Games

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team won two games today at The Spring Games and inside Hancock Park in Clermont, Florida. The Comets defeated Macalester (Minn.) College, 5-3, in their first game before shutting out Bethany (W.Va.) College, 3-0, in their second game.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Olivet 5, Macalester 3
Location: Hancock Park; Clermont, Fla.
Records: Olivet 2-7 overall, Macalester 4-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Comets used a two-out rally to push across a run in the top half of the first. Senior Taylor Smith reached on an error and advanced to second on a walk to freshman Taylor Shellenberger. Senior Carrie Chamberlain hit the first pitch to her to deep left field to score Smith. 
• The Scots went ahead 2-1 with a pair of runs in the third.
• Olivet grabbed the lead back with a three-run fourth inning. With the bases loaded, freshman Jazmin Hildebrand had a pinch-hit single into centerfield. The ball got away from the outfielder and rolled to the fence, allowing all three runners to cross the plate.
• Macalester closed the gap back to a single run, 4-3, with a single tally in the fifth.
• The Comets added an insurance run in the seventh inning when Shellenberger's batted ball was misplayed by the shortstop to score freshman Payton Watson.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet had five hits in the game, including two for Chamberlain.
• Freshman Bekah VanDam started the game in the circle and lasted only two and two-thirds innings. She gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits.
• Freshman Gracie Boyle threw the final four and one-third innings to earn the win. She allowed the one run on three hits.

FOR THE SCOTS

• Leadoff batter Julia Carpenter had three of the five Macalester hits.
• Sophie Migacz suffered the pitching loss. She went the distance in the circle and yielded the five runs (two earned), while striking out five.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Olivet 3, Bethany 0
Location: Hancock Park; Clermont, Fla.
Records: Olivet 3-7 overall, Bethany 1-3 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Olivet scored the only run it would need in the third inning. With the bases full, Watson came around to score on a walk to Chamberlain.
• The Comets loaded the bases, again, in the fourth inning. Smith hit a 1-2 pitch into right field to plate junior Olivia Peraino and sophomore Kristen Gressley.
• The Bison left two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings but failed to score.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet had just four hits, one each for Hildebrand, Smith, junior Konnor Geiger and sophomore Nikole Kern.
• Chamberlain earned her first pitching win of the season after tossing the first four and two-third innings and yielding four hits.
• Boyle threw the last two and one-third innings to pick-up the save.

FOR THE BISON

• Five different Bethany players recorded a hit. The lone extra base hit was a double by Sarah Coss.
• Sam Brinkley and Cassie Weiss both threw three innings and combined for eight strikeouts.

UP NEXT

• The Comets are off tomorrow and will play Wis.-River Falls (at 10:30 a.m.) and Westfield State (Mass.) College (at 1 p.m.) on Tuesday. Both games are Hancock Park in Clermont.