CLERMONT, Fla. – The Carroll University softball team surrendered two tough losses as they worked halfway through their 2023 spring break trip at The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida.
GAME 1
The Pioneers (3-6) were devastated by a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, falling to Western New England 2-5.
Riley Pavelka was the pitcher in at the time of the game-winning hit, taking the loss.
Pavelka came in for relief of
Andrea Kuhne who had started with two innings allowing six hits and two earned runs. Pavleka fanned five in her 4.1 innings pitched.
Lauren Harshbarger stayed hot, going 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.
Bridget Rath and
Kiana Johnson tallied the two Pioneer RBI.
Carroll made a spark early on in the game, going up 2-0 in the top of the first. Johnson reached on an error that sent Raddeman home, and Harshbarger was sent home from Rath's groundout to first.
Western New Eng got on the board the next half inning, and leveled the game in the bottom of the third with a double and base hit to start the inning. Carroll had opportunities to get back out front, putting runners on base in all but the sixth and seventh innings.
The Pioneers intentionally walked a batter to put runners on first and second with one out. Kailey Carrano from the WNE got a hold of one in a 2-2 count to end the game on a homer to left field.
GAME 2
The Pioneers (3-7) surrendered 13 hits to the No. 24 pre-season ranked Rowan University on Monday, and fell 0-4.
Grace Bradley pitched the entirety of the game for the Pioneers.
Bradley fanned five and walked two while allowing Rowan's 13 hits.
Mathena Higgins recorded two hits in the ninth spot as the DP.
Bradley was tested early with a bases loaded jam in the top of the first, but the runner at first-base left early before the pitch and was called out on the basepaths. Higgins put up Carroll's first hit in the bottom of the third with an infield single to the short stop.
The Pioneers went with six new fielders in the top of the fifth with the Pioneers down 2-0. Rowan scored once more in the fifth and scored their fourth run in the top of the seventh.
Higgins started the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single, and was sent to third off the bat of
Claudia Spencer, but the inning ended before a runner could reach home.
Kaitlyn Reed led off the seventh with a single, but the Rowan defense took care of the Pios the next three batters.
Carroll will play Ohio Wesleyan and pre-season ranked no. 6 Belhaven on Tuesday back at the Hancock Softball Complex in Clermont, Florida.
