MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team continued its Florida trip at The Space Coast Games today with a shutout win over Misericordia before dropping an extra-inning heartbreaker, 3-2 in nine, to Concordia-Moorhead.
RPI broke through first in the bottom of the third and never looked back behind a dominant start from
Ava Markert in the day's first contest.
After
Maddy Brooks reached on a bunt single and moved into scoring position,
Sydney Speanburg lined an RBI double to left to give the Engineers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
The Engineers added three more in the fourth to create separation.
Callista Adorno started the inning with a bunt single,
Addison Shaffer followed with a single, and
Olivia Termi knocked an RBI single to right. Brooks then brought home another run on a fielder's choice, and Speanburg capped the frame with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
RPI put the game away with a three-run sixth, using pressure on the bases and a pair of opponent errors to tack on insurance. Speanburg lifted a sacrifice fly for an RBI,
Evann McDowell executed a sacrifice bunt that produced a run, and McDowell later scored on a throwing error to push the margin to 7-0.
Speanburg led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI, while Brooks finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Adorno went 2-for-4 and scored, and Termi added an RBI single.
Markert earned the win int he circle with 6.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out four.
Natalie Kopf worked a clean seventh to complete the shutout.
In a scoreless pitchers' duel that went to extra innings, RPI plated runs in both the eighth and ninth, but Concordia-Moorhead answered each time and walked it off in the bottom of the ninth to close the day.
Neither team scored through seven as
Callie Volker and Concordia's Kegen Coulson traded zeros. RPI's best early chance came in the first when
Evann McDowell was hit by a pitch and Adorno singled to put runners in scoring position, but the Engineers were unable to capitalize.
RPI finally broke through in the top of the eighth. With
Lauren Cosselman placed on second as the intentional runner to begin the inning,
Gaby Heim singled to center for an RBI to give the Engineers a 1-0 lead. Concordia answered in the bottom half, pushing across the tying run on an RBI single.
The Engineers went back in front in the ninth.
Addison Shaffer started the frame on second and advanced on
Sarah Decker's sacrifice bunt, and Termi delivered an RBI single to center to make it 2-1. Concordia responded again in the bottom of the inning, tying the game on an RBI single before bringing home the winning run on a bunt play that plated the runner from third.
Adorno paced RPI at the plate, going 2-for-3, while Termi (RBI single) and Heim (RBI single) drove in the two runs. Volker was outstanding in the circle, striking out 10 over 8.0 innings while allowing just five hits and three runs (one earned).
RPI takes the field for the final time in Florida tomorrow against Messiah University and Marietta College.
