Softball kicks off season in Florida but falls short in day one doubleheader
Naples, FL—The MCLA Softball team kicked off its 2023 season today but ended up on the wrong side of both ends of a doubleheader. The Trailblazers dropped a hard-fought 8-6 decision to the University of Wisconsin-Superior in the opener before falling to Crown (Minn.) University 16-5 in game two. With the results MCLA falls to 0-2.
Game One Wisconsin-Superior 8 MCLA 6
MCLA drew first blood in game one when a Hailey Peabody single scored Madison Teta in the top of the 1st. A pair of doubles by Madyson Torres and Kristie Zator in the 2nd inning would give the Trailblazers a 2-0 advantage that they would enjoy until the bottom of the 5th.
UW Superior would bat around in the 5th scoring 5 runs on four hits to take a 5-2 lead.
The Trailblazers would battle back and load the bases in the top half of the 6th. Justina Pardi and Torres would both single to cut the Yellowjacket lead to 5-4. MCLA would then take back the lead on a 2-run base hit by Zator to put the Trailblazers up 6-5 after five and half.
An Ellie Macal single would drive in the tying run and Tiffany Kirk would score on an error to give UW Superior back the lead in the bottom of the 6th. The Yellowjackets would tack on an insurance run to make it 8-6 and retire the Trailblazers in order in the top of the 7th to earn a hard-fought 8-6 victory.
UW Superior's Tayler Kraemer would lead the Yellowjacket offense going 4-for-4 on the day scoring two runs. MCLA's Peabody (3-for-4) and Zator (2-for-3, 3 RBI's) as well as Torres (2-for-3) and Closinski (2-for-4) all had strong games.
Starter Sarah Williams went 4 1/3 but Gabriella Cozzolino, who pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief took the loss for the Trailblazers.
Game Two Crown (Minn.) 16 MCLA 5 (5 innings)
Madison Teta would draw a walk, steal second and score game two's first run after a Maggie Closinski single drove her in to give MCLA the early 1-0 lead. Hailey Peabody would then double to drive in Closinski and score herself on a Lidia Flores single making int 3-0 Trailblazers after one inning of play.
Crown would have a strong response however scoring 9 runs on eight hits in the top of the second to sprint ahead 9-3.
MCLA's Kristie Zator would turn another leadoff walk into a Trailblazer run being driven in by a Sarah McMahon single to make it 9-4 after two.
The Polars again would answer in the top half of the 3rd with 4 runs and add another three in the top of the 4th to make it 16-4.
Abby Bird would single in Lidia Flores in the bottom of the 5th for the final MCLA run but it wouldn't be enough as Crown would close out the Trailblazers 16-4 in five innings.
Abbie Carrol (1-4) would go the distance picking up her first win on the season allowing 5 earned runs on nine hits. Flores (0-1) would take the loss on the mound for MCLA but went 2-for-2, driving in a run at the plate. McMahon would also go 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Madi Hecox (3-for-4), Emmy Romportl (3-for-3) and Alethia Fisher (3-for-4) led the Polar offense.
MCLA is back in action tomorrow when they face Nazareth at 9am and John Jay at 11am.