Softball's Impressive Day Highlighted by Comeback Win

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team (6-2) posed an impressive day in the Sunshine State Thursday afternoon, mounting a four-run comeback win over Concordia-M'Head (4-10) before battling Roanoke (3-0), dropping a 2-0 score.

 
GAME ONE: WENTWORTH 9, CONCORDIA-M'HEAD, 4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Concordia-M'Head exploded on the scoreboard in the second inning, with a sequence of scores coming with multiple bases loaded. A sacrifice fly brought in the final score of the inning, giving the Cobbers a commanding 4-0 advantage.
• Wentworth answered in the bottom of the fourth inning, as sophomore Katie Kranz (Bedford, Mass.) blasted a solo home run over the fence to cut the deficit to three at 4-1.
• With senior Kaitlin Pettenger (Budd Lakes, N.J.) on base an inning later, graduate student Briana Beverly (Pawcatuck, Conn.) notched a single and made it to second on an error, giving Pettenger the time to bring in a score and mark a 4-2 tally. Following Beverly's drive, Wentworth loaded the bases, and a walk gave the Black & Gold another score at 4-3. With Kranz back up at the plate following, an error brought her to first, bringing in another run from senior Julia Bollentin (South Kingstown, R.I.) to knot the score at four-all.
• The next at bat, senior Julia Hutchinson (North Billerica, Mass.), got on first by an error, bringing in a score from freshman Kyla Igawa (Long Beach, Calif.) and giving Wentworth a 5-4 edge.
• An Igawa double in the bottom of the seventh brought in Pettenger and graduate student Alexandra Pina (Cumberland, R.I.), extending the Leopards' lead to 7-4. In a sequence shortly after, a Hutchinson single brought in scores from Igawa and junior Jess Rowe (Yardley, Pa.), bringing the score to 9-4.
• Hutchinson led the Leopards offensively, going 2-4 with 3 RBI, while Kranz smashed her second home run of the season and collected 2 RBI. Igawa also tallied 2 RBI. On the mound, freshman Julie Schriver (Moscow, Pa.) struck out six in five innings, while senior Erin Hancock (Holden, Mass.) picked up the save and struck out four.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

GAME TWO: ROANOKE 2, WENTWORTH 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A defensive outing had the ice broken as the Maroons picked up a score from in the bottom of the first inning on a wild pitch, putting Roanoke ahead 1-0.
• In the bottom of the fourth, the Maroons were able to move around the bases, bringing in another score with one student-athlete already on base. An error brought home the second Roanoke score, marking a 2-0 lead.
• Four Leopards (Hancock, Pettenger, Igawa, and Kranz) recorded one hit in the low-scoring affair. On the mound, Hancock struck out four.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards top off their Florida trip in Winter Haven on Saturday by battling Dominican (Ill.) (9:00 a.m.) and Rutgers-Camden (11:30 a.m.).

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