FORT MYERS, Fla. – Sophomore Jordan Anderson finished 3-for-3 at the plate and junior starter Shannon Whitmus struck out a season-high seven batters in a 5-2 defeat in the Edgewood College softball team's Spring Break opener against University of Pittsburgh-Bradford. The Eagles later lost game two to Nichols College, 11-3, on Friday afternoon.
Against the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, the Eagles (0-6) secured the 2-1 lead thanks to Sabrina Luedtke's bases-loaded walk and Carly Vigani's RBI single in the top of the second. The Panthers (4-4) scored the final four runs of the game, all unearned, to pull away. They tied it up 2-2 on an RBI groundout in the fifth and added three runs off a crucial infield error with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning.
It was enough to spoil a solid performance by Eagle starter Whitmus (0-5), who struck out seven hitters, allowed six hits, and just one earned run in 6.0 innings of work. Anderson backed her up with the Eagles' first three-hit game of the season and posted half of the team's six total hits.
A slow start doomed the Eagles in game two against the Bison (2-0). The Eagles allowed seven runs on four hits in the first inning, but nearly played Nichols even the rest of the way. Whitmus struggled in her second start of the day after tossing 113 pitches in game one, but led the team at the plate after going 2-for-2.
The Eagle offense posted three runs on seven hits over the final four innings, but couldn't avoid the five-inning defeat against the Nichols' offense and their two-way threat, starter Kendall Meehan. Meehan (1-0) earned the win after allowing three earned runs in 5.0 innings and opened up the scoring with a two-RBI fielder's choice groundout in the opening frame.
Vigani, Anderson, and shortstop Alyssa Hickey each added an RBI for an Eagle offense that made solid contact all afternoon and struck out a season-low three times.
The Eagles continue their 10-game spring break trip against Kenyon College and UMass Dartmouth on Saturday, February 11 at 9 and 11:00 a.m. (EST) in Naples, Fla.
