CLEREMONT, Fla. - The Lewis University softball team suffered a pair of defeats to open its Florida trip Saturday (March 9), falling to Gannon 5-4 in eight innings and 8-1 to No. 11 Grand Valley State at Legends Way Park, dropping its record to 2-8 on the season.
Game 1 - Gannon 5 Lewis 4
Morgan Weber (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) got the Flyers off to a fast start with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first. Gannon evened the score in the top of the third, but the Flyers responded in the bottom of the third when
Cassie Shaw (Moline, Ill./Moline) drove home two runs with a single for a 3-1 lead.
A solo home run from Gannon in the fourth cut the lead to one, but again Lewis was quick to respond in the bottom half of the inning as an
Elexis Swartzentruber (Normal, Ill./Normal Community)Â single scored
Lauren Brennan (Cantonment, Fla./J.M. Tate) and Lewis regained its two-run lead. Gannon though scored runs in the sixth and seventh innings to force extra innings and won the game with a double in the top half of the eighth inning.
Weber, Shaw and
Cierra Taylor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) all had a pair of hits for the Flyers. Kennedy DeMatteis (2-2) picked up the win for Gannon (5-6), while
Dara Sanders (Crestwood, Ill./Mother McAuley) (1-5) took the loss for the Flyers, despite 11 strikeouts, allowing four earned runs in eight innings.
Game 2 - No. 11 Grand Valley State 8 Lewis 1
The Lakers (13-2) opened with a run in the top of the third, but the Flyers evened the score in the bottom of the third when
Courtney Mahalik (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic)Â scored on a wild pitch. Grand Valley tallied runs in the fourth and sixth innings and then added five more runs in the seventh inning.
Taylor and Swartzentruber each went 2-for-3 to lead the Lewis offense. Hannah Beatus (6-2) earned the win for Grand Valley after allowing six hits and one earned run in seven innings.
Cassie Shaw (Moline, Ill./Moline) (0-1) was dealt the loss for the Flyers, allowing five earned runs in 6.1 innings.
Lewis plays two more games Sunday, facing off against Bemidji State at 1 CT and Dominican College at 3:15.
