CLERMONT, Fla. --- The Golden Eagle softball team kicked off their stay at The Spring Games on Saturday, dropping a pair of decisions in Clermont. Clarion fell by a 15-2 score to Northwood in the early game before falling 6-5 to Winona State in extra innings.
Game 1: Northwood 15, Clarion 2 (5 inn.)
Recap: The Golden Eagles ran into an offensive buzzsaw in the Timberwolves, with Northwood taking advantage of every Clarion miscue to put runs across the plate. They capitalized on three Golden Eagle errors to combine for 11 runs in the first two innings, while the Golden Eagles did not get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth inning.
Trailing 15-0 heading into the home half of the fourth, the Golden Eagles finally got something going with Alyssa Stitt's leadoff triple, her second three-base hit of the season. Rachel Helsley brought her home with one out, drilling a single through the left side of the infield. Tori Martano hit a two-out single to put runners on first and second, but Kendyl Switzer's grounder to third ended the inning.
Clarion's only other tally came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Allison Gilliam hit a one-out single through the left side of the infield and advanced on a wild pitch. Lauren Hartman added a pinch hit single to put runners on the corners, and Emily Buchleitner pulled a ball through the infield for another RBI.
Angelina Pepe took the loss in the start, though only three of her nine runs allowed were earned runs. Switzer entered the game and threw four innings of relief.
Game 2: Winona State 6, Clarion 5 (8 inn.)
Recap: The Golden Eagles pushed the Warriors to the limit on Saturday, scoring the tying run in the top of the seventh inning to force extra innings in Clermont. Winona State scored runs in each of the first two innings but Clarion responded in the top of the third inning, as Stitt drilled a single to center field that brought Carissa Giordano across the plate.
The Golden Eagles briefly took the lead in the fourth inning; the rally started on Desi Allen's RBI double that scored Rachel Helsley to tie the game at 2-2. Billie Aguglia made it a Clarion lead with a hot shot to shortstop, as Allen beat the throw home to take a 3-2 lead. Winona State rallied and took a 4-3 lead on an RBI double in the sixth inning, but Helsley led the Golden Eagle rally with a a two-out RBI double to bring Emily Buchleitner home.
After Megan Anderson held the Warriors scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, Brooke McCanna brought pinch runner Emma Hipps home on an RBI single in the eighth. The Warriors scratched across two runs in the home half of the inning to take the win.
Four Golden Eagles finished with two or more hits, with Buchleitner adding a double and a triple. Anderson threw all 7.1 innings for the Golden Eagles, allowing five earned runs.
