Softball team splits Tuesday games at The Spring Games

MINNEOLA, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team split a pair of one-run games at the PFX Athletics Spring Games and at the Minneola Athletic Complex in Minneola, Florida. The Comets lost their first game, 5-4, in eight innings to University of Wis.-Stout. Olivet bounced back to beat University of Southern Maine, 4-3.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Wis.-Stout 5, Olivet 4 (8)
Location: Minneola Athletic Complex; Minneola, Fla.
Records: Wis.-Stout 7-1 overall, Olivet 6-3 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Comets took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning. Sophomore Courtney Willson led off the inning with a double to deep left-center field. She went to third on a ground out and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Kinslea Blouin.
• Olivet manufactured two more runs in the third inning. Willson singled, stole second, went to third on a fly out and scored on Blouin's single. Blouin then stole second, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on senior Konnor Geiger's double.
• The Blue Devils evened the score at 3-3 on a three-run home run in the fifth inning.
• Neither team scored a run in the sixth and seventh innings, so the game went an extra inning.
• With a runner starting at second base because of the international tiebreaker, the Wis-Stout runner stole third base. The first batter walked and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. A ground out scored the first runner and on the same play, the second runner scored on a throwing error.
• Senior Nikole Kern was the Comets' runner to start on second base. After two outs were recorded, Blouin lined a single into shallow center field to put runners on the corners. Geiger hit a slow-moving ball back to the pitcher. She hustled down the line and dove into first base. The umpire called her safe, with Kern scoring the run and Blouin advancing to third base. A ground out ended the game.

FOR THE COMETS

• Willson was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.
• Blouin and Geiger each had two hits and two RBI.
• Sophomore Taylor Shellenberger was the hard-luck loser, as she gave up just the three earned runs on eight hits.

FOR THE BLUE DEVILS

• Beth Wood was 2-for-3.
• Kyncaide Diedrich hit the three-run home run.
• Sommer Kunstmann also tallied two hits.
• Wood started in the circle and lasted two and two-thirds innings. Kunstmann picked-up the win.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Olivet 4, Southern Maine 3
Location: Minneola Athletic Complex; Minneola, Fla.
Records: Southern Maine 1-3 overall, Olivet 7-3 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Comets did not waste any time in taking the lead, as they scored two runs in the top half of the first inning. Willson reached on an error and stole second base. A ground out advanced her to third base. Blouin hit the ball back to the pitcher, who fielded the ball, looked back Willson at third and Blouin quickly got to second base without a throw. Geiger hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Willson and advancing Blouin to third. Freshman Kayla Blett singled through the left side of the infield to plate Blouin.
• Olivet stretched its lead to 4-0 in the fifth inning. Junior Andrea Rico reached first base on an infield single that deflected off the second baseman's glove and into right-center field. Blouin then deposited a pitch over the fence in right-center field for her third home run of the season.
• The Huskies took advantage of a throwing error to score two runs in the home half of the fifth inning.
• Both team were retired 1-2-3 in the sixth.
• The Comets left the bases loaded in the top half of the seventh.
• Southern Maine scored a run in its half of the seventh inning and had two runners on base before a strikeout swinging ended the game.

FOR THE COMETS

• Sophomore Gracie Boyle threw a complete game, three-hitter. She struck out four and all three runs allowed were unearned.
• At the plate, Blouin was a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and two RBI.
• Blett and Rico each had two hits.

FOR THE HUSKIES

• Three different players recorded one hit apiece.
• Amber Kelly was the losing pitcher after allowing the four runs on seven hits over five innings.
• Haeli Campbell pitched the final two innings in relief and gave up three hits.

UP NEXT

• The Comets are back in action tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. against Albright (Pa.) College and at 11 a.m. against University of Maine at Farmington. Both games are being played at the Minneola Athletic Complex.