CLERMONT, Fla. - The Truman softball team concluded its Spring Break trip to Florida on Tuesday with a doubleheader against the likes of Sioux Falls and Ohio Dominican for a third time this season. The Bulldogs pulled out a slugfest with the Cougars, 11-10, before making quick work of the Panthers in that grudge match, 10-1, in five innings.
With the sweep, Truman went 7-1 in Florida, has been winners in 11 of its last 12 and now has an overall record of 17-9 heading into GLVC play this weekend in Kirksville. On the other side, Sioux Falls (12-7) has been winners in two of its last three, while Ohio Dominican's (10-10) two-game winning streak was snapped by the Bulldogs.
Tuesday, Truman was led by a pair of hitters with six hits apiece including
Ashley Murphy (6-for-7 with four doubles, three RBI and 10 total bases) and
Lex Van Nostrand (6-for-8 with five runs scored, one double, one RBI, and seven total bases). After those two,
Christa Reisinger and
Alyssa Rivera each notched five hits while
Morgan McMahan had three of her own.
In a crazy first game of the day, Truman and Sioux Falls combined for 21 runs on 25 hits. The Cougars scored three runs in the top of the first, but the Bulldogs came right back with two in the bottom half of the first, four in the second, two in the third, and another in the fourth. At that point, it seemed like the Purple and White were in complete control as they were ahead by six, 9-3.
During that nine-run spurt for Truman, three runs came in on RBI singles, one on an error by the shortstop,
Jamie Fowle hit a sacrifice fly to right, Murphy doubled in a pair, and Reisinger crushed a two-run home run to right center, her second blast of the season. Sioux Falls didn't go away quietly, though, and rattled off seven runs in the fifth to go ahead by one, 10-9. During that top of the fifth, starter,
Nicolette Simpson (8-4), left the game for
Alyssa Hajduk, who didn't retire a batter, and Simpson came back in to finish the inning/game.
Fast forward to the bottom of the sixth and Van Nostrand got things going with a one-out base knock to left field before Murphy doubled to put runners on second and third. After
Michaela Mooney pinch ran for Murphy, McMahan reached on an error by the second baseman, Van Nostrand scored and the game was tied up again, 10-10. In stepped
Valerie Schmidt, who provided a clutch two-base hit to right center, Mooney scored and the Bulldogs had their 11-10 lead.
The second game went much smoother for Truman, but Ohio Dominican was on the board right away with a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the first. In the top of the second, Reisinger made it two home runs in as many games with a three-run shot to left that pushed across herself,
Kadie Orenstein and McMahan.
The Bulldogs were just getting started, though, as Schmidt tripled in a run in the third, Rivera crushed a two-run blast in the fourth and the Purple and White were ahead by five at that point, 6-1. In the fourth after Rivera's four-bagger, Murphy hit a base knock that scored Van Nostrand to make it 7-1, but Truman still wasn't done. In the fifth, Rivera doubled in two runs and Fowle doubled in run No. 10.
Lauren Dale (8-3) gave up just the one earned run on four hits in five innings pitched with four strikeouts and two walks. Her and Simpson are both tied for third in the GLVC with eight wins each.
As mentioned above, the Bulldogs will open their conference slate at home on Saturday and Sunday with doubleheaders against Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis. Game one for both of those twinbills will begin at 12 p.m. at Truman Softball Park.
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