WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Lewis University's softball team kicked off its Spring Break trip rallying for two wins on Saturday at the DiamondPlex Complex in Winter Haven, Fla. The Flyers (7-4) defeated Southwest Minnesota State 6-1 in the morning and rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat California (Pa.) 9-4 in the afternoon contest.
Game 1 - Lewis 6 Southwest Minnesota State 1
Lewis fell behind against the Mustangs (5-8) giving up a run in the second inning. Emily Tatur led off the inning with a single and would come into score on Abby Russell's single to right.
The Flyers came right back scoring three runs in the top of the third.
Meghan Bontrager (Milford, Ind./Northridge) scored the first run scoring on a dropped throw at first by the first baseman on a sacrifice bunt from
Delaney Garden (Carpentersville, Ill./H.D. Jacobs).
Ella Jacobson (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) gave Lewis the lead with a squeeze bunt that scored
Gabi Nilles (North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) to make it 2-1 and then
Sara Serena (Kankakee, Ill./Kankakee) hit a sacrifice fly to shallow right that scored Garden with the final run of the inning.
The Flyers added to their lead with a run in the fourth on two hits. Bontrager started the rally with a two out single up the middle. Nilles followed with a single to right and back-to-back walks to Garden and Jacobson brought home Bontrager.
Lewis sealed the win in the sixth with a pair of runs without the benefit of a hit. Garden reached on a fielder's choice that scored Powell and Jacobson hit a sac fly to left to score Bontrager with the final run of the contest.
The Flyers were held to three hits in the contest with Bontrager, Nilles and
Carrie Anderson (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah Community) picking up one each. Jacobson drove in three runs while Garden and Serena had an RBI each.
Payton Wuske (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) picked up the win in the circle allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in the complete game effort to improve to 3-1.
Game 2 – Lewis 9 California (Pa.) 4
The second game of the day didn't start well for Lewis as it fell behind 3-0 just six batters into the game. The Flyers committed two errors in the top of the first that resulted in three unearned runs.
The Vulcans (4-4) added another run in the second on Caleigh Rister's solo home run to center with two outs in the inning.
Lewis got two of those runs back in the second. With two outs and runners on second and third, Bontrager singled to left to drive in Anderson and Powell would move to third. The throw back in got away which allowed Bontrager to move to second and then Powell stole home as the defense fell asleep.
The Flyers had opportunities to tie the game in the third and fourth innings but were unable to get the big hit until the seventh.
Anderson started the game deciding rally with a one out single to center. With two outs, Bontrager singled to center to put the tying runs on base. Garden, pinch hitting for Nilles, walked on four pitches to load the bases.
Nichole Kiddy (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge), pinch hitting for Jacobson, singled to center to drive in Anderson and Bontrager with the tying runs. An error by the center fielder allowed Garden to score the go-ahead run all the way from first.
Evie Calderon (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) drove in Kiddy with a single to center, then stole second and scored on Serena's single to right.
Maggie Joutras (Shorewood, Ill./Providence Catholic High School) capped the scoring with a two single to right to bring home Serena and Mahalik.
Lewis finished with 11 hits in the contest as its 5-9 hitters went a combined 8-for-16 with six runs scored and four RBI. Bontrager went 3-for-3 at the dish with an RBI and a run scored. Joutras finished with two hits and two RBI.
Garden pitched the final five innings in relief of
Kaelyn Leverson (Atlanta, Ill./Olympia) and allowed no runs on three hits with four punchouts to pick up her third straight win and improve to 3-1 on the season.
The Flyers return to the diamond on Sunday (March 6) as they take on Wayne State (Neb.) at 8 a.m. (CST) and Grand Valley State at 10:15 a.m. (CST). Both games are at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven, Fla.
