CLERMONT, FL- The Juniata softball team began its 2015 season with a pair of games in Florida. The Eagles dropped their first contest 8-0 to St. Mary's (Ind.) but rebounded in the second to defeat Fitchburg State 13-5.
Against the Falcons, Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona) picked up her first collegiate victory as she went four innings and gave up six hits, three earned runs, three walks and struck out one. Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) came in for two innings and surrendered two earned runs on four hits.
At the plate, Katie Schroeder (Kempton, PA/Kutztown) went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) was 3-for-3 with a double, two runs, and two RBIs. Alicia Regnault (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) was 2-for2 with two runs and Lindsey Kosicki (Patton, PA/Cambria Heights) was 2-for-3 with a run.
The game was scoreless until the third inning when the Eagles exploded for five runs. They tacked on another three runs in the fourth to go up 8-0. Fitchburg State finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning with three runs to make it a 8-3 ballgame.
JC added another three runs in the fifth inning with two runs resulting from Schroeder's triple and another when Schroeder scored on a throwing error.
The Falcons scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to make it 11-5 but Juniata plated two runs in the sixth and shutout Fitchburg in the sixth to come away with the win.
Juniata had 14 hits to Fitchburg State's 10. The Falcons did commit five errors in the field while the Eagles did not commit any.
The second game was quite a contrast from the first as JC was held hitless by St. Mary's. The Belles' Sarah Burke went five innings walking three and striking out seven Eagles.
Bettinger pitched 1 1/3 innings and surrendered five hits, six runs, (three earned), and did not walk any batters. Walls came on for 2.2 innings and gave up four hits, two earned runs, and one walk.
Juniata will play two tomorrow. The Eagles start the day with a 9 a.m. game against Finlandia followed by an 11 a.m. contest with Mount Ida.
