A Quick Look
The NEC softball team dropped a pair of games today on day three of its spring trip to Florida. The Pilgrims rallied late but came up short, 7-6, to Albright in game 1 and then were shut out 9-0 in five innings versus Wartburg in game 2.
Game 1 – Albright 7, NEC 6
Junior Juliette Licata reached on an infield single to start the game and was sacrificed to second base before moving to third base on a single by classmate Grace Landante. Landante stole second to put two runners in scoring position for junior Slaydon Fisher, who drove in Licata from third with a sacrifice fly to center field. That would be the only damage in the inning, as the Lions took its 1-0 lead after the half inning.
The Pilgrims wasted no time in gaining the lead with three runs in the home half o the first inning. Senior
Grace Giesler (La Mirada, CA) walked to the start the inning then stole second before coming around on a triple by junior
Kate Gagne (Portsmouth, NH). The next batter was junior
Abigail Grimes (Baltimore, MD), who singled to right field to bring Gagne home.
Grimes wasn't on base long, as she came in to score on a deep triple to right field by freshman
Makayla Halley (Ventura, CA) giving the 'Grims a 3-1 lead after one inning.
Albright cut into NEC's lead with a single run in the third inning when Landante scored on an RBI double by Fisher.
Albright rallied with two outs in the fifth, scoring three runs to grab a 5-3 lead. The big hit in the inning was a bases-loaded single by freshman Emma Massie that drove in a pair. The final run of the inning came in from an RBI single that knocked in sophomore Alexis Laboy.
Albright extended its lead to 7-3 with single runs in their half of the sixth and seventh innings. Massie drove in her second run of the game in the sixth and then Landante hit an RBI double in the seventh that scored Licata.
The Pilgrims wouldn't go quietly, as they put together a rally themselves in the bottom of the seventh. Senior
Emma Lopez (Downey, CA) drove a triple to the gap in right-center field that plated both Giesler and Grimes, who had both singled in their at-bats. Lopez then scored on a sacrifice fly from Halley. Unfortunately, that would be it for the Pilgrims, as pinch-hitter
Wren Anhalt (Brooksville, FL) grounded out to first base to end the game.
Sophomore
Amanda Magro (Phoenix, AZ) suffered the loss for the 'Grims allowing five earned runs in 4 2/3rds innings. She did strike out six, but also walked four.
Grimes led the offense with three hits and two runs scored. Halley and Lopez each drove in two runs.
Game 2 – Wartburg 9, NEC 0 (5 innings)
The Knights jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning and never looked back. Junior Jillian Panther threw a complete game, one-hit shutout to pick up her first win of the season. The offense was led senior Jenna Wiebenga and freshman Katelyn Klever who drove in four runs and three runs respectively.
What's Next
The Pilgrims will play another pair of game tomorrow when they face Rose Hulman and Cornell College of Iowa.
