Clermont, Fl. – The College of Saint Elizabeth's softball team (1-7, 0-0 NEAC) fell in a pair of games to New England College and Juniata on Thursday afternoon in Florida.
New England got on the board first in game one, scoring a run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the top of the third, the Eagles put two runners on, but were unable to cut into the deficit. In the bottom half of the inning, the Pilgrims added four runs to open up a 6-0 lead.
CSE's offense got rolling in the fourth inning, loading the bases with no outs. With a 3-1 count to the fifth hitter, Elizabeth Unger blasted her first career home run, a grand slam to left field to get the Eagles right back in the game at 6-4.
New England tacked on a run in the fifth inning to regain a three-run lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Megan Lapinksi made the defensive play of the game behind the plate, bobbling a popup before diving and catching it, keeping the deficit at three heading to the final inning.
In the top of the seventh, Marie Goodman knocked a two-out double off the left center field fence to keep the Eagles alive. Following a Lapinski walk to send the tying run to bat, Danesha Triplett lined a RBI single, getting the Eagles within two. New England managed to retire the next batter, taking the game 7-5.
In the top of the first in game two, Juniata had second and third with no outs, however Triplett induced a wild 1-2-5-2-5-4 double play. Juniata managed to score a run in the inning but Triplett escaped further damage by popping the fifth hitter up to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, after a two-out Goodman walk, Lapinksi lined a RBI double to right center, tying the score at one. In the top of the second, Juniata scored five runs to take a 6-1 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Caitlin Gibson lined a RBI single to center, scoring Victoria Ciallella, slicing the deficit to four.
In the top of the third, Juniata added five more runs to take an 11-2 lead over CSE. CSE would add two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but it was not enough as Juniata took the game, 13-4.
CSE returns to action on Friday for its final day of competition in Florida with games against Concordia Chicago and the Coast Guard, beginning at 8 am.
