NAPLES, Fla. – It wasn't meant to be for the Edgewood College softball team as their bats were limited to a season-low three hits in 3-0 loss to Wilmington and were beaten by Swarthmore after allowing a 9-run sixth-inning. Despite the setbacks, freshman Laurissa Belott upped her impressive hitting streak to 14 games on the final day of their 10-game Florida spring break trip. The Eagles finished 7-3 and set the school record for most wins over spring break.
Belott's streak is the longest since Colleen Joyce (2009) and Jennifer Stephens (2007) and is tied for the seventh-longest in team history. Coming in to today, the leadoff hitter had hits in each of her last six at bats, but saw that come to an end with a leadoff walk against Wilmington. She is currently hitting .511 and ranks second in the conference.
She later added one hit against the Quakers (3-2) and combined with Hanna Fisher, who is on a hot streak of her own, for all three of the team's season-low three hits in 3-0 loss. Fisher is 8-for-16 in her last six games after registering just five hits over her first eight contests.
Grace Shell (2-0) tossed seven scoreless innings and struck out eight to lead Wilmington to their second shutout of the year. They scored all three runs in the second and third innings on a passed ball and a pair of RBI singles.
Amanda Meister (2-3) threw four innings and gave up three runs (two earned) and six hits. Shannon Whitmus tossed two scoreless innings in relief.
The Eagle offense was shut out for the second time over spring break and stranded at least one runner on base in four of the seven frames.
Despite racking up 10 hits and holding a 5-4 lead midway through the game, the Eagles fell to Swarthmore, 13-5, after allowing nine runs on eight hits to the Garnet (6-2) in the sixth inning. It was the most runs allowed by any opponent in one inning this season in a game that took over two hours and 30 minutes.
The Eagles scored in four of the first five innings thanks to a trio of RBI singles by Jordan Anderson, Meister, and Maddie Minik and a Callie Ziegler squeeze bunt. Their 5-4 advantage going into the sixth was turned upside down.
Swarthmore put their first six batters on base (five hits and a hit by pitch) and capped the run with a go ahead RBI single to assume the 6-5 lead. Three batters later and the bases still loaded, Kennedy Kings stepped to the plate and launched a grand slam. She followed with an RBI single in the seventh to conclude the scoring and finish with a game-high three hits and six RBIs.
Anderson and Meister each posted two hits apiece to lead an Eagle offense that accumulated 10 hits. Anderson added a team-high two RBIs. Belott recorded her only hit of the game with a single to lead off the game.
Starter Maddy Coppens had a no decision after allowing eight hits and five runs (three earned) over 5.2 innings. Despite allowing three earned runs, she still ranks fifth in the conference with a 1.91 ERA over 22 innings in Florida.
Even after today's sweep, the Eagles showed plenty of promise and potential heading into conference play. Offensively, they hit .325 over 10 games and walked more than they struck out (27 to 23). They shut out two opponents behind solid pitching (3.55 ERA), a great defense, and won multiple games after facing an early deficit.
They will face Alverno on Saturday, March 31 at noon at Ceniti Park.
