CLERMONT, Fla.—The Gators split a pair of game in their fourth day at The Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. Thursday (March 22).
A fifth inning rally gave the Gators a 6-4 win over Elmhurst College in game one. However, the Gators fell to Manchester University 11-3 (5 innings) in game two.
GAME ONE
After a scoreless first inning, the Blue Jays plated two in the second.
In the bottom of the second, the Gators cut the lead to one. With one out,
Jessica Gordon singled to right field.
Rachel Ramsey was walked, placing Gordon win scoring position. With two outs,
Maria DiDonato singled through the right side to score Gordon from second. The Gators threated for more, but Elmhurst got out of the bases loaded jam.
Kelly Lafferty led off the fifth with her second hit of the game. After
Samantha Valera earned a walked to put Lafferty in scoring position,
Hayley Behr singled to left field, bringing Lafferty around for the tying run. With runners on first and second,
Jessica Zavolta hit into an error, which scored Valera and moved
Delaney Harrison-Peters, pinch running for Behr, to third. After a line out, a throwing error scored Harrison-Peters to give the Gators a 4-2 lead.
Rachel Ramsey followed up with a RBI single to right field to score Zavolta.
Kyleigh Cason closed out the scoring for the inning as her groundout scored Gordon, putting the Gators in front 6-2.
The scored stayed that way until the top of the seventh, when the Blue Jays scored two runs with no outs. Elmhurst then loaded the bases with two outs. Starting pitcher
Kala Mahen forced a soft line out to third for the second out, and struck out the final batter swinging on a full count to hold on for the win.
Gordon went two-of-four with two runs and a RBI. Behr went two-of-four with a RBI while Lafferty went two-of-three with a run and a RBI.
Mahen went the full seven innings, surrendering eight hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.
GAME TWO
Lafferty led off game two with a single up the middle. After moving to second on a Valera sac bunt, Behr hit a RBI single to score Lafferty from second.
However, the lead was short lived as the Spartans had five hits and took advantage of a pair of Gator errors as they plated eight runs in the inning.
The Gators made up some ground in the third. After Cason was issued a lead-off walk, Lafferty went deep to left center to cut the lead to 8-3. The homerun was her second of the year.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans added three more runs to end the game after five innings.
Lafferty went two-of-three with two RBI and two runs.
The Gators conclude their Florida trip Friday (March 23) as they take on Hope College and Middlebury College.
