Softball team extends win streak to eight games

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team extended its winning streak to eight games with a pair of wins today at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. The Comets beat New Jersey City University, 11-6, and Potsdam State (N.Y.) University, 7-0.

The game against NJCU started at 8:30 a.m., and one half inning was played before thunderstorms rolled through the Northwest Softball Complex. Play resumed at 3:10 p.m.

Olivet scored a run before the rain came when senior Jenny Robbins (Fenton) tripled to lead off the game and later scored on a wild pitch. After the rain, the Gothic Knights took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the bottom half of the second.

The Comets then scored six runs in the second inning on three-run home runs by Robbins and sophomore Ciara Santos (Lansing/Everett).  NJCU pushed across two unearned runs in the home half of the second. Olivet got those runs back with single tallies in the third and fourth innings.

The Gothic Knights made the score 9-6 with two runs in their half of the fourth. The Comets capped the scoring when junior Brooke Coshow (Niles/Brandywine) hit a two-run home run for her team-leading third homer of the season.

For the game, Olivet recorded 15 hits. Robbins finished the game with three hits and was a double shy of hitting for the cycle. Coshow also had three hits and was a triple shy of the cycle. Freshman Terri Hurosky (Nashville/Maple Valley), junior Bridget Lathers (Grass Lake/Lumen Christi) and sophomore Lindsey Maas (Pinckney) each collected two singles.

Coshow and Robbins scored three and two runs, respectively. In the circle, junior Kelsey Greene (Burr Oak) went the distance and allowed the six runs (three earned) on four hits. She struck out eight.

The Comets jumped on Potsdam State early by scoring four runs in the first inning. Greene drew a bases loaded walk to score the first run and Lathers' groundout scored the second run. Freshman Alyssa Nielsen (Greenville) ripped a double off the fence in leftfield to score the final two runs Olivet added another run in the second and ended the scoring with a two-run sixth.

Each team had eight hits in the contest. Nielsen went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Greene had a pair of singles. Freshman Lauren Lenard (Dimondale/Lansing Catholic) also had two hits. Hurosky walked twice and scored each time.

Senior Katie Harper (Vassar) earned the complete game victory. She struck out nine batters and did not walk a batter.

The Comets will conclude their spring break trip tomorrow with a 9 a.m. game against Drew (N.J.) University and an 11 a.m. game against Fredonia State (N.Y.) University.