Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Box Score (vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)
Box Score (vs. McKendree)

TUCSON, Ariz. – Coming into Wednesday, the Edgewood College softball team knew they were facing tough competition as they squared off with a ranked team and a Division II team. The Eagles hung with 15th ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges before falling 3-2 to start the day. In the second game, the Eagles went toe-to-toe with Division II McKendree University and eventually dropped the Bearcats 8-4 to split the day.

Against #15 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, both teams got hits but left runners on base in each of the first two innings before the Athenas (15-5) broke through in the third frame. After back-to-back singles to start the inning, Shelby Long sacrificed the runners over. The Athenas then scored the first run of the game on a squeeze play. However, Charlie Leikness got a pop out and ground out to end the threat and keep the score at 1-0.

Edgewood College threatened to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning as Alexis Unser and Emily Monson started the inning with consecutive singles, but the Athenas escaped the inning with no harm done.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps extended their lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Following a walk that loaded the bases, Amanda Banducci laced a single to left center that scored two, putting the Athenas up 3-0.

However, the Eagles answered in the bottom of the inning as Unser started a one-out rally with a single up the middle and Monson followed with a single through the left side. After a ground out moved the runners over, Jessica Spitzer crushed a double to right center that scored both Unser and Monson to pull the Eagles within 3-2 after five innings.

Edgewood College couldn't muster anymore offense off of Athena pitcher Rebecca Gularte who tossed a complete game with four strike outs. Leikness almost went pitch-for-pitch with Gurlarte as she struck out five in seven innings of work to take the loss.

Unser, Spitzer and Monson all recorded two hits to lead the Eagle offense while Spitzer drove in the only two Eagle runs.

The Eagles (6-6) didn't let that loss affect them as they came out and jumped on Division II McKendree (8-11) in the first inning. After pitcher Brittany Andrews set the tone with a 1-2-3 first inning, the Eagles offense started rolling behind Monson's 4-for-4 day. Jessica Diaz followed Monson's single to start the first inning with a sacrifice before back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs. Carlene DeCoster reached on an infield single to bring in one run, and Katie Landon drew a bases loaded walk on nine pitches to tack on another. Tiffani Pierce also drew a bases loaded walk to put the Eagles up 3-0 after one inning.

Andrews sat the Bearcats down in order again, giving her offense a chance to add on to the lead in the second. Monson led off the frame with a single down the left field line to spark the offense again. With the bases loaded, DeCoster laced a single to left center to extend the Eagle lead to 5-0.

McKendree made an effort to comeback in the third inning, however. Kay Koonce started the inning with a double to left field. Haeley Kreisel followed with a single and advanced to second on an error while Koonce scored on the play. The Bearcats tallied a couple more unearned runs to get within 5-3.

Nevertheless, that was as close as McKendree would get as the Eagles answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Pierce started the frame with a single and was moved to second by an Unser sacrifice. Diaz reached on an error before Spitzer ripped a two-run double to the left field fence, putting the Eagles up 7-3.

In the fourth, Andrews stayed hot as she retired the side on three pitches. Kayla Rackow tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning when she stroked a double down the right field line.

The Bearcats got one run back in the sixth inning, but Leikness slammed the door as she stranded the bases loaded. McKendree threatened again in the seventh, but again Leikness was up to the challenge, leaving two runners on to give the Eagles the 8-4 victory.

Monson led the Eagle offense, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored in the win while DeCoster went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in. Andrews earned her second win of the season, going five innings and giving up just three runs, one earned.

Edgewood College wraps up their spring break trip in Arizona with a pair of games tomorrow morning. The Eagles face the University of Dubuque at 8:00 a.m. and Nazareth College at 10:00 a.m. Arizona Time. Edgewood College will provide live stats for both games with the links being found on EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com.