Softball team splits two games for second straight day at Gene Cusic Classic
The Olivet College softball team split a pair of games for the second straight day at the Gene Cusic Classic and inside the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers. In their opener, the Comets beat Wartburg (Iowa) College, 3-2, and in their second game, they fell to Newbury (Mass.) College, 7-5.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Olivet College softball team split a pair of games for the second straight day at the Gene Cusic Classic and inside the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers. In their opener, the Comets beat Wartburg (Iowa) College, 3-2, and in their second game, they fell to Newbury (Mass.) College, 7-5.
Olivet used a two-out rally to plate a run in the bottom half of the first inning against Wartburg. Senior Marlene Packer (Grand Rapids/Creston) lined a double over the centerfielder's head, and came around to the score on a single by senior Alison Iuelle (Kelloggsville). The Comets tacked on another run in the third inning when senior Ciara Santos (Lansing/Everett) hit a double to score to score Iuelle.
After the Knights scored an unearned run in the top half of the fourth, Olivet responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman Chelsea Luedtke (Millington) reached on an infield single and came around to score on a double by freshman Maddie Siebenmark (Bridgman). Wartburg scored one run in the sixth but went down in order in the seventh inning.
Sophomore Jessica Duell (Ionia) threw a complete game, six-hitter to earn her second win of the season. Luedtke was 2-for-3 at the plate. Iuelle, Packer, Santos, Siebenmark, junior Terri Hurosky (Nashville/Maple Valley) and senior Lindsey Maas (Pinckney) each had one hit.
Against Newbury, Olivet scored a run in the first inning. The Nighthawks responded with a pair of runs in the second and third innings to take a 4-1 lead. The Comets got one run back in the fourth inning on a RBI-single by Luedtke. Newbury pushed its lead back to 6-1 with two runs in the top half of the sixth. Olivet answered with two runs in its half of the sixth on a two-run double by Packer.
The Knighthawks plated a run in the seventh for a 7-4 lead. The Comets did not go down quietly in the bottom half of the seventh. They pushed across one run and left the tying run stranded at second base.
Olivet finished the game with 10 hits, led by junior Lauren Lenard's (Dimondale/Lansing Catholic) 3-for-3 performance. Packer also had two hits and drove in two runs. Siebenmark was tagged with the pitching loss, surrendering three earned runs on nine hits.
The Comets will play Northland (Wis.) College at 9 a.m. and Medaille (N.Y.) College at 11 a.m. tomorrow.