Southeastern Takes Both Games of Doubleheader from Softball

(Lakeland, FL)-- The Cleary Cougar softball team returned to action for the first time in two weeks Saturday, as they opened up their trip to Florida with a doubleheader against the Fire of Southeastern University.

In Game 1:  After the Cougars were held scoreless in the top of the first inning, the Fire were able to get a single run in the bottom half of the inning to take a 1-0 lead.  In the top of the second, Arianna Harden led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jenna Wagenschutz.  After Harden stole third, she would score to tie the game on a RBI single by Courtney Witten.  Lauren Gannon would single, and Grace Pasterik reached on an error to load the bases, but the Cougars would be unable to score any more runs in the inning.  Southeastern added the go-ahead run to answer in the bottom of the second, and would score the insurance runs to put the Cougars away in the bottom of the fourth to take the game 7-1.  

Haley Ludwig would suffer the loss, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits in 3.2 innings of work.  Lauren Gannon went 2/3 at the plate, while Mckenzie Latshaw, Courtney Witten, and Ashland Particka each had one hit for the Cougars.

In Game 2:  Mia Rzepka hit a one-out double to get on base, and later scored after an error to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.  The Fire responded by hitting a pair of home runs to score three runs in the bottom half of the inning, and then scored ten more runs in the bottom of the second to open the game.  Cleary was unable to get some runs back, and the game ended with a 14-1 scoreline.

Halle Dargie would suffer the loss for the Cougars.  Cleary got three hits, two from Mia Rzepka, and the other from Olivia DeJohn.

The pair of losses now give the Cougars an 0-4 record on the season.  Cleary looks to bounce back on Sunday, March 2, when they travel to Ave Maria University to take on the Gyrenes in a doubleheader.  First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 PM.