CLERMONT, Fla. – Fredonia pitchers and defense had another solid day Sunday as the Blue Devils split their softball doubleheader, falling 3-2 to Concordia-Chicago in extra innings, then rebounding for a 3-1 win over Scranton.
The junior duo of
Katie Yudin and
Sam Seegar combined to allow nine hits with 15 strikeouts on the day. Yudin was the hard-luck loser in the opener, a six-hit, a 10-strikeout performance. She also had two of Fredonia's four hits. Seegar followed with a three-hitter with five strikeouts in Sunday's second game, the fourth for the Blue Devils (2-4) at The Spring Games.
Nicole Kumro had the day's biggest hit for Fredonia, a two-run single as part of a three-run second inning against Scranton.
Cassie Herman had a hit in each game.
Fredonia committed only one error in the two games.
Here are the Devils in the Details:
GAME ONE
- Corcordia-Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on a suicide bunt by Nia DeGeorge, which scored Melissa Baldema on a bang-bang play at the plate.
- Fredonia rallied back in the last of the fourth when Yudin beat out grounder in the hole at short, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored when Herman doubled into the left-center gap.
- Yudin pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth.
- In the last of the fifth, Balkema, an All-America shortstop, robbed Rhianna Paoletti of a hit, and turned a double play in the process. With a runner on first and one out, Baldema dove and grabbed Paoletti's liner ticketed for center, then popped up and doubled Jules Vassallo off at first.
- The International tiebreaker came into play in the top of the eighth. Concordia-Chicago scored twice in the top of the ninth, while Fredonia could only counter with a one-spot in the bottom half of the inning when Maddy O'Heir grounded back to the mound and Paoletti scored from third.
GAME TWO
- Scranton took a 1-0 lead when Jennifer Sweeney homered over the left-center fence in the top of the first.
- Kumro delivered a two-run single to right-center to put Fredonia on top 2-1 in the last of the second. Karli Murray followed with an RBI single through the hole on the right side for a 3-1 lead. The inning was set up when Herman drew a lead-off walk. The Blue Devils then took advantage of Scranton error on a potential double-play ball.
- Scranton threatened in the fifth, putting runners on second and third with two outs. Seegar induced a slow grounder to Karli Murray at short. Kumro dug out a low throw to end the inning.
WHAT'S NEXT?
- After two days at Hancock Park in Clermont, the Blue Devils travel to the Osceola County Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla., for morning games vs. Ursinus at 9 o'clock and Utica at 11:30.
