BOX SCORES: Flagler 5 U-Mary 2 Tampa 3 U-Mary 2
Clermont, FL – Presented with the opportunity to face two of the nation's top teams, the University of Mary softball team fell just short in the runs column on the opening day of the Marauders spring trip to Florida. Errors cost the Marauders in a 5-2 loss to 25th-ranked Flagler College and a seventh inning rally lifted #24 University of Tampa past U-Mary 3-2 in the Marauders second contest.
Freshman pitcher Erin Keen allowed just three hits and two earned runs in the opener to #25 Flagler. The Saints benefitted from two Marauders miscues and picked up seven walks to knock off U-Mary 5-2.
The Saints opened the scoring without the benefit of a hit, using a walk to the leadoff hitter, a wild pitch, a balk and a sacrifice fly to score a run in the first inning. A U-Mary error in the third led to two runs and the Marauders would trail 3-0 after three innings.
The Marauders chipped away at the deficit in the fourth as Jessica Alvarado led off with a single and would score on an error by the Saints. After Flagler tacked on another unearned run in the fifth, U-Mary pulled within 4-2 in the fifth on an RBI single from Alvarado to score Sami Antolin.
Down by three in the seventh after another Saints run, U-Mary threated to score following two-out singles from Brooke Hageness and Jenna Button but that was as far as U-Mary could go.
Alvarado picked up two of the Marauders four hits, drove in a run and scored once to pace the U-Mary offense.
Alona Personius drove in two runs for the Saints and Haley Craven scored twice.
Keen picked up the loss for U-Mary after going 5.2 innings. She struck out two in the game. Katie Enright earned the win after striking out five and allowing one earned run in five innings.
The Marauders defense played a clean second game but the U-Mary offense once again was held to four hits in a 3-2 loss to #24 Tampa.
Down 1-0 in the fifth, Melissa Gonzalez hit a two-run home run for the Marauders first lead of the day. The senior shortstop's bomb scored Calie Brown.
The Spartans finally got to Marauders hurler Emily Sinclair in the seventh inning, opening with a single. After the runner was sacrificed to second, Kayleen Boatwright doubled home the tying run. A single and a fielder's choice followed. Just as it looked like the Marauders would escape the inning tied, Megan Burke drove in what proved to be the winning run on a two-out single to right.
The Marauders looked poised to respond in the bottom of the seventh as Brittney Hadley led off the inning with a walk and Gonzalez followed with a double. Spartans pitcher Deanna Henriott responded by striking out Alexandra Medina before intentionally walking Jenna Button to fill the bases.
Henriott, who struck out 17 Marauders in the game, would fan Alvarado before inducing Hageness to ground out to short for the final out of the game.
Gonzalez led U-Mary with two hits, driving in two and scoring once with a home run and a double. Boatwright had three hits for Tampa and Burke drove in two runs.
Sinclair, the first NSIC Pitcher of the Week this season, scattered 11 hits and didn't walk a batter while recording three strikeouts. Henricott allowed four hits and four walks to go with her 17 strikeouts.
The Marauders, 3-4 overall, return to action against Saint Xavier and Florida Southern College on February 27.
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