CLERMONT, Fla.—An offensive eruption to the tune of 14 runs powered Gordon to a split for the second day in a row at the Spring Games. The Fighting Scots held off Westfield State's furious rally, beating the Owls 14-12 in eight innings. Stevenson was able to hold off the Scots in the nightcap, 5-3.
Game One
Gordon might have faced every range of emotion in the evening opener against Westfield State. The Fighting Scots stormed out to a 5-0 lead and scored at least one run in each of the first five innings.
Megan Jenkerson (McDonough, Ga.) hit her second home run of the trip in the second inning to make it 3-0, while Carleigh Petersen (North Hills, Calif.) and Caitlin Catalanotto (Kingston, N.H.) added RBI in the third to give the Fighting Scots the big lead.
The Fighting Scots seemed to be cruising along until the bottom of the third when Westfield's offense awoke from its slumber. Liz Kelly (Quincy, Mass.) hit a solo shot to get the Owls on the board as a part of a three-run frame.
Gordon doubled its lead back to 6-3 in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of a Westfield error.
The Owls turned the game on its head in the bottom half of the inning by quickly scoring two runs to make it a 6-5 game before Angelica Banning (E. Granby, Conn.) smacked a two-out pitch over the left-field tall to give Westfield its first lead at 8-6. Two errors committed by the Scots in the inning prolonged things as all five runs scored were unearned.
Gordon took its turn at a big inning in the next half frame. The first six Scots reached base including an RBI double by Catalanotto and RBI singles for Laura Bieren (Groton, Mass.) and Jenkerson to put the Scots back up 10-8. Junior Sarah Ryder (Telford, Pa.) put even more distance between the two sides with a single back up the gut to plate two more.
The Scots held the Owls scoreless in the fifth, but Westfield came out swinging in the sixth to improbably knot the game again. The Owls loaded the bases with a pair of fielder's choice plays where everyone was safe before Maddie Keigwin (Sutton, Mass.) hit the tying runs home with a two-out single.
Westfield State looked poised to walk off the Scots in the bottom of the seventh when Bri Tortora (Worcester, Mass.) doubled down the line to lead off the inning. Tortora advanced to third on a groundout, but was stranded as Catalanotto came up with the big punchout of Kelly and an inning-ending grounder.
With international tiebreaking rules in effect for the eighth, Gordon scored its first run of the stanza on a throwing error by the Owl pitcher. Petersen then doubled to the gap in right to score Katie Dariano (Albany, N.Y.) for the 14-12 advantage.
Catalanotto sent the Owls down in order in the bottom of the eighth to pick up her second win of the year in the circle. The rookie also had two hits and three RBI. Jenkerson also put up three RBI in the game.
The 14 runs were a program best since the crazy 18-16 comeback victory against Susquehanna in Florida last year.
Game Two
The Scots had a quick turnaround in a tight loss to the Mustangs of Stevenson.
Gordon fell behind 2-0 throw two and a half innings before Ryder drove in the team's first run of the ball game.
The Mustangs answered with a double to the wall in center to drive in two more runs and take control of the game in the fourth. However, Gordon was able to take advantage of some sloppy play in the fifth to draw back within a run at 4-3.
Stevenson added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a single and held Gordon to only one base runner in each the sixth and seven to hang on for the win.
Up Next:
Gordon (2-4) will look to build on its solid Tuesday outings with a doubleheader against Lancaster Bible and RPI on Thursday.
