NAPLES, Fla. – The Wilmington College softball team’s bats went cold on day four of the spring trip to Florida Wednesday. The Fightin’ Quakers fell to State University of New York at Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta) 1-0 and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) 5-2.
Offense was at a premium for both teams in game one. Hayley Suchland was the first Quaker to reach base with a one-out single in the top of the first, but was thrown out trying to steal second.
Wilmington had two more hits in the game, but never got a runner in scoring position. Oneonta struck out nine more times (for 11 total) and didn’t mount an offensive attack until the sixth inning off starter Grace Shell.
Coincidentally, the Red Dragons got things started by reaching base via a strikeout with a dropped third strike. Two stolen bases followed, and as Amanda Sexton was stealing third, the throw went into the outfield, scoring the game’s only run. One batter later, Oneonta tallied its only hit of the game, a single through the left side.
Shell pitched admirably and took the loss despite allowing one hit with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
Along with Suchland, Je’Taysia Johns and Mariyah Burkhardt had the Wilmington hits.
In game two, RIT got on the board in the board in the bottom of the first after lead-off walk crossed home plate thanks to a double from Alexis Smith. Two innings later, Erin Guinan launched a three-run home run over left field. Wilmington answered with two runs in the fifth courtesy of a Hayley Suchland home run. Offensively, that would be it for the Quakers as RIT added one more run in the sixth.
Alexis Stringfellow dipped to 1-2 with the loss as she allowed four runs in three innings pitched. Hunter Salyers finished out the game, also allowing four hits, though just one earned run, in three innings.
Wilmington (5-3) closes out its spring trip with games against SUNY Canton and SUNY Brockport Thursday.
On Tuesday, Wilmington defeated Nazareth College (N.Y.) 8-0 and Elms College (Mass.) 15-0.
In the win over Nazareth, Johns got the scoring started with a home run, her second in as many days, in the bottom of the second.
In the fourth, KenDahl Bowles got things started with a single up the middle, and after an out, Megan Crager drove her home with a triple to right center and scored herself via an error on the same play. Two singles and two fielder’s choices that followed loaded the bases with two outs, and Johns delivered again, this time with a bases-clearing triple to right center. One batter later, Jillia Cook singled to right field, scoring Johns for the sixth run of the inning.
Neither team scored for two innings until Wilmington, up 7-0, ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Suchland single that scored Crager.
Stringfellow improved to 1-1 on the season scattering five hits with a strikeout in six innings.
In the win over Elms, Crager walked to open the game, stole second and scored on a triple from Suchland. After a popout, Alecia Kemp hit an infield single, scoring Suchland. The sophomore also started for the Quakers on the mound and allowed just one hit the entire game, which came in the second inning. Wilmington struck for a 5-run third inning and plated eight runs in the sixth for a convincing victory.
Offensively, Wilmington had 11 hits as a team. Suchland finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored while Kemp went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Seven other Quakers had one hit.
