CLEARWATER, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2017) - Central Missouri Jennies Softball suffered a pair of losses Saturday afternoon at the NFCA Lead-Off Classic. Florida Tech and Rollins defeated UCM, dropping their record to 4-6 through the team's first 10 games.
Game One: Florida Tech 3, Central Missouri 2
After Central Missouri starter
Alexa Bradley retired the first two batters of the game, she put herself in trouble by hitting a batter and committing a throwing error which would have ended the inning. Instead, the Panthers scored two unearned runs in the frame and went on to win by a run.
The Jens scored in the second and fifth inning on doubles from
Katie Giacone and
Allie Dishinger. Both runs cut the Panthers lead down to one, but they couldn't get any closer. In the seventh, UCM put the tying run on base as
Courtni Smith drew a one-out walk. She was left stranded though as Rachel Pence shut the door for Florida Tech, nailing down a two-inning save.
Bradley lasted just 2.1 innings for the Jennies, taking the loss after allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits with a strikeout.
Katie Giacone threw 4.2 innings of shutout relief, giving up just two hits and a walk, while striking out three.
The Jennies put together eight hits with two each from Dishinger and
Hailey Crabtree. Dishinger picked up the Jennies only RBI while Crabtree and
Emily King each scored a run.
Panthers reliever Amanda Kahn got the win throwing 2.1 innings, allowing a run on four hits to earn the win. Pence earned the save pitching two hitless innings with four strikeouts.
Vanessa Rubio went 2-for-4 at the plate for Florida Tech, with a run scored and an RBI.
Game Two: Rollins 8, Central Missouri 0 - 6 innings
Rollins scored two in the second, two in the fourth and four in the sixth to end the Jennies day on a sour note with an 8-0 loss. The first four runs for the Tars were all unearned. They broke the game open with RBI hits from Rachel Minier and Abigail Sexton in the sixth.
The Jennies best chance to score came in the second with the game still scoreless. UCM loaded the bases with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat. Central Missouri would put runners on base again in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but couldn't get any past second base.
UCM scattered four hits, all singles. Dishinger reached base twice with a hit and a walk. She has successfully reached base in all 10 games this season.
On the rubber,
Jordan Johnson got the start. She pitched 5.1 innings allowing all eight runs, though only four earned on 11 hits with a strikeouts. Bradley recorded the final two outs for the Jennies.
Grace Street went the distance for Rollins pitching six innings giving up four hits with nine strikeouts.
Five Tars recorded multiple hits. Sarah Harrison went 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
Central Missouri has one game left in Clearwater. They play Georgia College Sunday, Feb. 12 at 8 a.m. CT.
