BROOKE ATKINS
Special to The Leader
The Fredonia women’s softball team kicked off its 2015 season over spring break with spring training in Clermont, Florida. They played a total of 12 games over a nine-day span, playing two games per day.
The Blue Devils played their first game Friday, March 13, where they fell short against Clarkson, with a final score of 4-3. Cherise Gunnell, who scored two of the three runs that game, led the team in hitting. A pinch-hit RBI single was hit by Madeline Medina, which scored the final run in the seventh. Junior pitcher Aldyn Carlson gave up a 2-2 lead in the sixth inning on a hit to the infield, which gave Clarkson the lead. At her first collegiate at-bat, Nikki Lent cranked out a triple.
In their next game the Devils got two hits against Hope College, which was not enough to give them the win. Both Erin Mushtare and Lauren Pixley went 1/1 at bat, but no runs scored. Megan Degroat, the first pitcher of that game, had an earned run average of 12, followed by Aldyn Carlson, who had six.
Falling short the following day, the women got defeated by Western Connecticut State with a score of 12-0. Fredonia had a total of four hits during this game, but never had more than one hit in an inning.
Right fielder Kate Nicholson went 1/3 and led the Devils in hitting, which started out when Nicholson dropped a bunt. Jess Lauck lined out to center in the sixth inning to wrap up hitting for Fredonia. Starting pitching for that game, Megan Degroat let in six runs with three strike outs and was relieved by Aldyn Carlson after 3.2 innings. Defensive play of the game went to Cherise Gunnell, who made a diving backhanded catch that prevented a run from scoring.
Later that day the ladies played in a close game, only falling slightly short, with a score of 5-2 against Heidelberg. Carlson pitched a complete game in almost 90 degree weather having an ERA of four, and the fifth run being scored on an error.While the team lost with a score of 5-0, Katelyn Dennis doubled to left-center to put runners on second and third. Runners scored when Maggie Paras had a sacrifice fly to right, and Kate Nicholson singled off the pitcher’s glove. Not only did Nicholson come in clutch in offensive, but she made a sliding catch down the line in right in the early innings.
The ladies had off Sunday and then picked it back up Monday, March 16, when Scranton beat the Devils by a score of 10-4. Kelsey Gannett pitched the first half of the game, having six strikeouts, and Megan Degroat having only one. Kate Nicholson went 2/4, while Lent and Gunnell went 1/4, but Gunnell also had two RBIs.
The next game the Devils played gave them their first ‘W’ of the season, with a score of 12-2 against Ripon. Junior Alyssa Morgan came in clutch with three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored. Followed by that was Nicholson, who added two hits and two runs scored.Getting her first collegiate win, Degroat pitched four innings, only allowing four hits and two runs against her. Kelsey Gannett was the losing pitcher, but had defensive gem Kaitlyn Crossan behind her, who made a backhanded diving catch.
Keeping the winning streak going, women’s softball defeated Calvin in a comeback, with a score of 4-2. Maddy Stavish had a two-out two-run single in the fourth inning and went 1 for 2. Pitching was strong as Gannett pitched a complete six gamer hitter with ten strikeouts.
A score of 9-5 gave Fredonia its second win of the day over FDU-Florham. Jess Lauck went 4-4 with two doubles and two singles to lead the Devils in hitting Pixley made a sliding catch in left, and Nicholson had a diving catch in foul territory, earning her the title of defensive MVP of the game.
The Blue Devils’ winning streak came to an end on Thursday when they lost to Scranton 5-2. Aldyn Carlson was the losing pitcher, dropping 0-3 this spring and being relieved by Megan Degroat. Alyssa Morgan went 3/4, and Nikki Lent went 2/4, both hitting doubles to help Fredonia out.
In their second game of the day, in the third inning, the game got called off because of heavy rain.
Fredonia finished up its Florida trip with two losses to Bowdoin, 6-5, and St. Lawrence, 4-1. Madeline Medina doubled into right-center to score three runs, and Nikki Lent had a two-run single.
The Blue Devils wrapped up their spring training tournament, going 3 for 12 in total. The ladies are off until Friday, March 27, where they will play their first home games against Geneseo at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and Saturday against Brockport at noon and 2 p.m., weather permitting.