WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Adrian College softball team faced off against Illinois College in game one where the Bulldogs fell short in five innings 11-3. Adrian bounced back in game two against Concordia University where they put up 10 runs in the 10-2 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 1:
Illinois College jumped out to an early lead, scoring five runs in the first inning and adding one more in the second to take a commanding 6-0 advantage.
However, the Bulldogs began to chip away at the deficit in the second inning. Genna Marasco delivered a clutch double to left center, driving in Ava Wolfe and Hanna Walker to cut the lead down.
Adrian continued to fight back, with Maggie Leveille delivering a key double that brought Meghan Lupu across the plate, further trimming the lead.
Leveille finished the game going 1-for-3 with one RBI, while Marasco went 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Kendra Clark also contributed with a 1-for-2 performance at the plate. Despite their efforts, the Bulldogs couldn't complete the comeback, falling short in five innings 11-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 2:
The game started with both teams locked in a scoreless battle, unable to gain any momentum through the first two innings. However, in the top of the third, the Bulldogs broke through as Leveille delivered a clutch double down the left-field line, scoring Karsyn Malinich and Taylor Gerhardt to give Adrian a 2-0 lead. Ava Wolfe then followed with a single up the middle to bring in Leveille, extending the lead to 3-0.
Concordia responded in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to just one run. Leveille wasn't done yet, she came up big again in the fourth, smacking another double to score two more runs. Clark kept the offensive surge going, driving in two additional runs, pushing the Bulldogs' lead to 7-2 after the fourth inning.
In the top of the fifth, Taylor Gerhardt brought home Marasco to extend the lead to six, and Karsyn Malinich delivered a hard single to left field, driving in two more runs. With a commanding 10-2 lead, the Bulldogs cruised to victory.
Macce Schang was dominant in the circle, earning the win with a complete-game performance, racking up nine strikeouts and allowing just seven hits. The Bulldogs delivered an all-around impressive performance to secure the 10-2 win over Concordia University.
Leveille went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, while Meghan Lupu went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, Taylor Gerhardt went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Karsyn Malinich also went 2-for-5.
The Bulldogs tallied their season-high in hits as a team with 14, showcasing their hot bats in the final game of the day.
The Bulldogs are back in action on March 7 where they will take on Husson University at 11:15 AM and Clark University on the final day of the Florida Trip.
