NAPLES, Fla. - The Rockford University softball team dropped both of its games on Monday, to even its record at 2-2 this season. The Regents opened the day with an 11-3 loss in six innings to the United States Coast Guard Academy (5-1). Rockford then fell 10-8 to SUNY Oneonta (3-3), as the Regents late comeback effort fell just short. Rockford pounded out nine hits in the game, including a trio of extra-base hits and a Michaela Spanbauer home run.
Coast Guard 11 Rockford 3
- Rockford scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third time in three games this season. Annaka Bartz led off the bottom half of the first with a single to center field. Two batters later, Mikayla Seay laced an RBI double to right field, scoring Bartz, and giving Rockford a quick 1-0 lead. Gretchen Schrubbe followed with an RBI double of her own, as Rockford took a 2-0 advantage after one inning of play.
- The score remained 2-0 until the Bears broke through in the top of the fourth, with a trio of runs off four hits and two Rockford errors.
- Fortunately, Rockford was able to tie the game with a single run in the bottom of the half of the frame. Jessica Kearns reached base with a leadoff single and then advanced to third off a Bear error. Kearns would score later in the inning during Brittany Bihun's at bat.
- However, things went downhill for the Regents over the next two innings. The Coast Guard scored eight runs off six hits and took advantage of four Rockford errors en route to an 11-3 victory.
SUNY Oneonta 10 Rockford 8
- The Regents once against came roaring out of the gates and scored a trio of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rockford took advantage of two Red Dragon errors, to put runners on first and second with just one out. Gretchen Schrubbe then knocked in the game's first run with an RBI single to center field. Rockford would tack on two more runs later in the inning when Michaela Spanbauer crushed a two-run home run.
- The Red Dragons would tie the game in the top of the second, with three runs off four hits, including a two-run home run.
- Oneonta took a 6-3 lead one inning later when the Red Dragons scored a trio of unearned runs.
- The Red Dragons added three more runs in the fourth, as they took advantage of another Rockford error and extended their lead to 9-3.
- Fortunately, the Rockford offense came alive and scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Regents quickly loaded the bases with no outs off a pair of walks and hit batter. Mikayla Seay then promptly cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right field. Following a pitching change, Seay scored on a wild pitch, to make it a 9-7 game. After a Gretchen Schrubbe double and a Destiny Darmon walk, Katelyn Boomgarden drew an RBI walk, to make it a one-run game heading into the sixth.
- The Red Dragons were able to scratch across an insurance run in the sixth, as SUNY Oneonta took a 10-8 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
- The seventh got off to an excellent start, with each of the first two Regent hitters reaching base safely. Jessica Kearns drew a leadoff walk and Brittany Bihun singled to right center. The Regents then bunted the runners over to second and third, putting the tying run in scoring position. Unfortunately, the Red Dragons retired the next two batters and secured a 10-8 victory.
Coast Guard
SUNY Oneonta
- Gretchen Schrubbe was 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
- Michaela Spanbauer went 1-for-3 with a home run, a run scored and 2 runs driven in.
- Mikayla Seay finished 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and 3 runs driven in. She also pitched extremely well in relief to keep Rockford in the game. Seay allowed just 1 run off 4 hits and struck out 1 over her 3 innings inside the circle.
- Brittany Bihun went 2-for-3.
- Emily Cox scored 2 runs and Katelyn Boomgarden drove in a run.
The RU softball team returns to the diamond on Wednesday, March 11 at 8 AM central time against Kenyon and then at 10 AM central time against Elms.
