CLERMONT, Fla. - On Thursday, first-year
Emma McPherson hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth to win game two and secure a doubleheader split for the McDaniel College softball team at The Spring Games.
Game 1: Wisconsin-La Crosse 10, McDaniel 5
An RBI-double from junior
Keonna Gonzalez scored first-year
Gianna Apostolakos for an early 1-0 lead for McDaniel. The Eagles responded with a five-run bottom of the first, scoring on an RBI-single, an RBI-double and a two-run triple to take the lead 5-1.
A three-run second inning brought the Green Terror within one after McPherson scored on a fielder's choice, senior
Taylor Applefeld scored on an error and first-year
Erin Thayer scored on a wild pitch to make the score 5-4.
A fielding error gave Wisconsin-La Crosse (6-4) a two-run cushion in the second but McDaniel again answered with a
Cameron Kelly run following a fielder's choice to keep the distance at one in the third.
The Eagles added three runs in the fourth to make the score 8-5. A two-run fifth inning sealed the 10-5 win for Wisconsin-La Crosse in the opener.
Gonzalez had three hits in four plate appearances with an RBI while Kelly went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Apostolakos, Applefeld and senior
Ryan Smith all finished with an RBI in the loss.
First-year
Shiloh Wall took the loss in the circle, totaling two strikeouts, one walk, seven earned runs and nine hits. Junior
Amy Anderson pitched three innings in relief, striking out one and walking two in 31 pitches.
Game 2: McDaniel 9, Ripon 8 (8 innings)
Game two remained scoreless until the third inning, when the Red Hawks (7-4) scored on a fielder's choice to take a 1-0 lead. The Green Terror plated four runs in the fourth after sophomore
Ally McBride singled to score Applefeld and junior
Riley Jackson, and Kelly sent a two-run single into right center field to score junior
Caitlin Boden and McBride.
Ripon (7-4) tied the game 4-4 in the fifth inning on an RBI-ground out and a two-run single, later taking a 7-4 lead in the sixth following a run on a fielder' choice and a two-run double. McBride scored in the bottom of the sixth on an error to cut the deficit to two.
The Green Terror scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extras. Jackson scored on a fielder's choice and Boden delivered with an RBI-single to score Applefeld to tie the game at 7-7.
After the Red Hawks took an 8-7 lead in the eighth on a fielder's choice, McPherson answered in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run double to score Kelly and Apostolakos and win in walk-off fashion, 9-8.
Kelly had three RBIs in the win while McPherson went 1-for-5 with two RBIs. Smith went 2-for-4 in the lead-off spot while Boden had two base hits, an RBI and a run scored. McBride had three hits in five at-bats with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Kelly earned the win in the circle, pitching a complete game and totaling one strikeout, two walks, five earned runs and eight hits.
The Green Terror conclude competition at The Spring Games with a Friday doubleheader against Worcester State and Coe. First pitch is set for 9 a.m.
