Beloit College softball splits in Florida

CLERMONT, Fla.—The Beloit College softball team jumped on Ohio Northern early and then survived a vicious rally to hold for the 4-3 win on Thursday afternoon as a part of The Spring Games hosted in Florida during the college’s spring break.

The Polar Bears plated the first run of the day when Mariana Alejandro scored after three-straight walks.

It was the only three free passes issued by starter Samantha Friedrichson, who settled in to toss three innings while allowing just one unearned run on three hits with one strikeout.

Beloit then helped the sophomore earn her first win of the season by pouring on four runs in the bottom half of the frame with the help of two errors by Ohio Northern.

The Bucs loaded the bases and Kaylee Witte knocked two runners in with a hard-hit single to right-center field. Parkview grad Siddalee Meyers then scored Donath on a fielder’s choice and Stella Lutes brought a fourth run home run with a ground ball single to right.

The Polar Bears started to rally in the seventh when Allie Wilson’s sacrifice fly cut Beloit’s lead to two and Taylor Hilty scored a runner after reaching on an error to make it 4-3.

Witte, who had tossed three clean innings before the dicey seventh, got a pop out to end the danger. She allowed two hits and two runs, one earned, walked two and struck out a pair.

Lylah Murrah went 2-for-3 while Lutes finished 2-for-2 for Beloit. Rosser and Griffin each had two hits for Ohio Northern, who were outhit 8-5.

• UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN (MN) 9, BELOIT 4: The Bucs (2-8) fell in the nightcap on Thursday after the Eagles (6-7) poured on the runs in the first.

Witte’s one-run single in the top of the first had given Beloit the quick lead, but starter Helena Harrison allowed five runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Murrah added a two-run single in the fourth and Witte scored another on her RBI double in the seventh, but Northwestern outhit the Bucs 12-6 in the win.

Beloit, which committed four errors, was paced by Witte’s two hits. The Eagles had three hits from Allison Terry.