Softball team drops two games in Florida

LEESBURG, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team fell to Penn State University Brandywine, 4-2, and Defiance (Ohio) College, 16-5, today at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex in Leesburg, Florida.

Final Score: Penn State Brandywine (Pa.) 4, Olivet 2
Location: Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex; Leesburg, Fla.
Records: Penn State Brandywine 3-5 overall, Olivet 4-5 overall

• Olivet took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Senior Taylor Shellenberger led off with a double to the fence in right-center field. She went to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI-single by freshman Jessica Barnes.
• The Lions pushed across three runs in their half of the first and another run in the second to make the score 3-1.
• The Comets got a run back in the top half of the third. With runners on first and second, sophomore Kaylee Clothier hustled around the bases to score from second on a dropped pop fly by the first baseman.
• Penn State Brandywine scored a run in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 4-2.

• Shellenberger had two of the seven Olivet hits.
• Five other players each recorded one hit.
• Barnes was tagged with the pitching loss, as she surrendered three runs on three hits and two walks over an inning plus of work in the circle.
• Sophomore Danielle Erickson threw the final five innings and gave up one run on four hits.

• Penn State Brandywine also tallied seven hits.
• Fiona Warren and Payton Landis had two hits apiece.
• Cara Fabiano was the winning pitcher. She allowed two runs (one earned), with two strikeouts.

Final Score: Defiance (Ohio) 16, Olivet 5 (5)
Location: Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex; Leesburg, Fla.
Records: Defiance 4-6 overall, Olivet 4-6 overall

• The Comets scored four runs in the bottom half of the second inning. The first two runs came in on a two-run single by Erickson. The third run came around to score on an errant throw and the fourth run on a sacrifice fly by junior Kayla Blett.
• The Yellow Jackets plated five unearned runs in the top of third to take a 5-4 lead.
• Olivet took advantage of a throwing error to tie the game in the home half of the third.
• Defiance scored the final 11 runs of the game, plating four in the fourth and seven in the fifth.

• Erickson and freshman Kaitlyn Horstdaniel both had two hits.
• The lone extra base hit was a double by Horstdaniel.
• Erickson threw four total innings. She gave up nine runs (three earned) on 11 hits over four innings to be charged with the loss.

• Defiance had 18 hits.
• Kalin Hubble was 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.
• McKenzie Baker collected three hits and four RBI.
• Brooke Gostomsky and Kalin Hubble each drove in three runs.
• Taylor Biggs was credited with the pitching win.

• Tomorrow morning, Olivet plays Susquehanna (Pa.) University at 10:30 a.m., followed by a re-match against the Lions at approximately 12:45 p.m.