CLERMONT, Fla. - The Elmhurst softball team kicked off its 11-game road trip to the Spring Games in Florida with a pair of victories. The Bluejays dispatched Allegheny 10-2 before rallying past Ripon 11-9.
Elmhurst evened its record at 2-2 on the season.
ELMHURST 10, ALLEGHENY 2 - Elmhurst opened its Florida trip with a 10-2 win over Allegheny in five innings.
The Bluejays jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first with
Alyssa Ressinger driving in a pair of runs with a single. Elmhurst extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth after
Val Perrelli singled home a run.
Allegheny scored a run in the top of the fifth but Elmhurst put the game away in the fifth with six runs.
Jackie Orel doubled home a run to start the scoring. Two batter later,
Alexis Ramos cracked a three-run homer to put the Bluejays in front 8-2.
Rebekah Ondracek drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run and Ressinger followed with a walk-off run-scoring single.
Mia Tran, Perrelli, Ressinger and Ramos finished with two hits apiece to lead Elmhurst's hit parade. Ressinger and Ramos drove in three runs apiece while Tran scored three times.
Emily Despain picked up the victory, working four innings and allowing just two hits and one earned run. She fanned two while not issuing a walk. Jenna Hicks earned the save, allowing just one hit and one run in one inning.
ELMHURST 11, RIPON 9 - Elmhurst rallied from a 7-3 deficit to upend Ripon 11-9.
The Bluejays struggled defensively, committing seven errors in the contest leading to eight unearned runs for Ripon. The Bluejays committed three errors in the bottom of the third when Ripon plated seven runs.
Trailing 7-3 after three innings, the Bluejays scored three runs in the fourth, all with two outs. After Ripon scored twice in the bottom of the fourth, the Bluejays pulled even with three runs in the top of the fifth.
Mia Riese and
Jackie Orel both knocked in runs and
Rebekah Ondracek scored on a Ripon error to tie the game at 9-9.
Alexis Ramos doubled home a run a in the seventh to put Elmhurst in front 8-7.
Mia Tran followed with a run-scoring single for an insurance run, making the final score 9-7.
Julianna Bauer, Ramos and
Jamie Haas collected two hits apiece to lead Elmhurst's offense. Ramos drove in two and scored two runs while Bauer and Elizabeth DiNuzzo scored two runs apiece.
Cortney Bols paced Ripon at the plate with two hits and three RBIs.
Bailee Krantz picked up the win in relief, tossing three innings and allowing three hits and two unearned runs.
Elmhurst plays Trinity University (Conn.) on March 22.
