CLERMONT, Fla. – The Simmons University softball team fell to Carroll University (Wis.), 4-1, this evening at Legends Way Ballfields as part of THE Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Sharks five-game win streak comes to an end as they fall to 6-2 on the season, while the Pioneers win their 10th straight game to improve to 13-1.
Simmons senior starting pitcher Alex Soqui (Acushnet, Mass.) (2-2) allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks, while striking out a batter. Junior catcher Christie Bott (Seaford, N.Y.) was 1-3 with a home run, while senior right fielder Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) was 1-3 with a single.
Senior right-hander Amanda Osterhus (Munster, Ind.) allowed just her first run of the season after 39 1/3 innings of shutout ball and gave up just two hits, while issuing a walk and striking out 10 batters to improve to 8-0 on the season for Carroll. Sophomore right fielder Megan Funk (Waterford, Wis.) paced the offense, going 1-3 with a run batted in. First year third base Claudia Spencer (Dousman, Wis.), first year left fielder Mathena Higgins (Oshkosh, Wis.), first year center fielder Kate Christian (New London, Wis.) and junior catcher Allyssa Demma (Orland Park, Ill.) all collected a single and scored a run.
The Pioneers took advantage of two errors in the top of the second to score three runs for a 3-0 lead. Spencer beat out an infield single to second base and Christian drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second base with Demma coming to the plate. The catcher responded with a single to right field that resulted in an errant throw by the right fielder to send Spencer home with the game's first run and put Demma and Christian on second and third, respectively. Funk grounded out to second to score Christian, before first year shortstop Lauren Harshbarger (Watertown, Wis.) reached on an error to second to plate Demma with the third run for a 3-0 lead.
The Sharks got on the board when Bott battled back from an 0-2 count to bring it full, before crushing her third homer of the season well over the center field fence to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Carroll got the run back in the top of the sixth when Higgins roped a leadoff single up the middle, moved to second on a wild pitch. Higgins then scored when she tagged and went to third on a fly ball to right field off the bat of Demma, before scoring when the throw from the right fielder sailed went offline to provide Demma an opportunity to score the fourth run of the game for the Pioneers.
Simmons returns to action tomorrow at Legends Way Ballfields when it takes on Montclair State University at 4:00 p.m., while Carroll takes on Bates College at 11:30 a.m. at the Hancock Recreational Complex in Clermont.