LEESBURG, FL (March 11, 2024) - In the first day of the Spring Games in Central Florida, the Susquehanna University softball team played the first of five doubleheaders Monday afternoon, falling to Curry College 2-0 in game one, but bounced back with a 2-0 win against Milwaukee School of Engineering for their first win of the season.
Curry College 2, Susquehanna 0
This game was a pitcher's duel between River Hawk starter Hannah Foust and Colonel starter Jillian Rogers, but it was Rogers who got the slight run support she needed to take the win.
That run support came in the top of the second when Foust walked Curry College right fielder Renee Gonneville with the bases loaded to bring in the first run, then a passed ball against the next batter brought home the second.
That was all Rogers needed as she quieted Susquehanna's bats with a masterful performance. The River Hawks went down in order in the first three innings but in the fourth had their best opportunity to score. Susquehanna managed to load the bases thanks to a Hailey Kaba walk and two hit batters, but Rogers struck out Emily Deitch to get out of the inning.
Amanda Amerman replaced Foust on the mound in the fourth inning, ending Foust's day with a final stat line of three innings pitched allowing just one earned run off one hit. Amerman pitched the rest of the way totaling four innings and allowing zero runs off three hits and striking out four batters.
However, the River Hawk offense never got closer than they did in that fourth inning and went down quietly down the stretch sealing the loss. Rogers pitched a complete game two hit shutout while striking out 13 batters. The only hits Susquehanna managed all game were two singles courtesy of Katelyn Dugery and Ashleigh Gerber in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
Susquehanna 2, Milwaukee School of Engineering 0
Much like game one, game two of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel that went down to the wire between Susquehanna's Brianna Jones and MSE's Whitney Ruffcorn.
Both pitchers blanked the opposing offenses for five innings with both teams combining for just six hits during that span, but in that time each team had their best chance to score in the second inning. Susquehanna got two singles from Gerber and Stevie Shaak and a Nicole Plesh walk loaded the bases with just one out, but Ruffcorn managed back-to-back fly outs to get out of the jam. In the bottom of the inning, the Raiders got two singles of their own from Jayda Nelson and Celine Pacheco, but both were left stranded on first and second.
It was in the sixth inning where Susquehanna finally got on the board. Susquehanna got two runners in scoring position thanks to a Lexi Palumbo single and Dugery double before Deitch brought them both home with a two-out RBI double to give the River Hawks a 2-0 lead they would hang onto.
A clean sixth and seventh inning from Jones gave Susquehanna their first win of the season. She pitched a complete game shutout allowing just four hits and struck out three batters while walking none.
The doubleheader split brings the River Hawks to 1-3 on the season and they will be back in action tomorrow afternoon, March 12, for another doubleheader this time against Wisconsin Lutheran College at 9:15 a.m. and against Macalester College at 1:45 p.m.
