KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Gustavus softball team finished its 2017 spring trip Monday with two wins over SUNY-Cortland and Washington College, improving its record to 12-4 on the season.
“It is tough to play four days in a row,” said Head Coach Britt Stewart. “We came out pretty flat yesterday as far as energy and our execution. Today we came ready to play from the very first inning. We went back to basics and played the game without all the added pressure. It was fun to watch.”
Gustavus 8, SUNY-Cortland 3 (Box Score)
A six-run first inning carried the Black and Gold in game one. Hannah Heacox (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.) led off the inning with a single up the middle and came around to score the first run on a bases loaded walk. The Gusties scored three other runs on a wild pitch and errors as well as a two RBI single from Jena Willis (Kalispell, Mt.) and another single from Caitlin Kammerer (Fy., Watertown, Minn.), her first career RBI.
The Dragons came back with two runs off three hits in the second inning, but were unable to push back as the Gusties added a two-run cushion in the seventh and were backed by solid defense and pitching.
Starting in her ninth game on the rubber, Heacox pitched seven innings to post her eighth complete game of the season. She allowed three runs off eight hits and totaled five strikeouts to improve her record to 6-3 on the season.
Willis (3-4, 2 RBI), Kammerer (2-2, 1 RBI), and Emily Carlson (Fy., Burnsville, Minn.) (1-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI) led the Gustavus offense.
Gustavus 2, Washington College 1 (Box Score)
Aly Freeman (Fy., Omaha, Neb.) led the Gusties in game two. She posted both RBI in the win, including a walkoff single in the eighth inning.
The two teams traded runs in the first inning. Heacox led off the bottom of the first with a single to left field before scoring on a RBI single from Aly Freeman (Fy., Omaha, Neb.) to tied the game at 1-1.
Both teams were unable to muster any more runs throughout the seventh inning and headed to extras, where Gustavus walked off with a 2-1 win.
Jena Willis completed her fifth game of the season in the circle. She pitched eight innings and allowed one run off eight hits to improve her record to 6-1.
It is tough to play four days in a row. We came out pretty flat yesterday as far as energy and our execution. Today we came ready to play from the very first inning. We went back to basics and played the game without all the added pressure. It was fun to watch.
“This spring break trip was the perfect opportunity to see where we are as a team,” Stewart commented. “We competed against talented competition this week which helped us get better. We now know what we have to improve on to prepare for conference play as well. We couldn’t be more excited about such a great start to the year.”
Gustavus next prepares for its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule, facing Bethel and Hamline for doubleheaders April 1-2.