Griffins finish Florida trip 4-4

Clermont, Fla. - It was an early morning rise for Fontbonne softball in their final day of play in Florida. Games at Hancock Park were all moved up one hour due to weather and field availability. The Griffins took on No. 20-ranked St. Catherine's (St. Kate's) at 8 a.m. before their final contest against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans immediately following. After going 1-1 on the day, Fontbonne finished spring break 4-4 and are now 4-9 on the season. The Griffins are scheduled to play Lindenwood University at home Wednesday followed by their SLIAC-opener at home Thursday against Webster.

St. Kate's

St. Kate's didn't get the memo that the game was moved up an hour and the team arrived to the field 30 minutes before game time. In order to accommodate the issue at hand, Fontbonne switched from being the visiting team to the home team to give their opposing pitcher extra time to warm up.

It was a pitcher's battle as St. Kate's threw 13 strikeouts to stay undefeated with the Griffins falling 2-1. The Minnesota team score their two runs in the second with two outs after a double and a Fontbonne error.

In the fourth inning, the Griffin defense was all catcher Emily Smith who dove to catch a fouled bunt along the third base line. After a walk, she threw out the runner trying to steal and aided pitcher Madi Leonard with a strikeout for the final out. In the sixth inning with the bases loaded, reliever Michelle Boyer came to the mound for the Griffins. She threw the first out at home after the bunt trickled her way and then the Griffins kept another run at bay when Courtney Kedroski threw home for the second force out. Boyer got out of the jam with a flyout to left. She finished the game with two strikeouts in the seventh.

Fontbonne threatened in their final at-bats, trailing 2-0. Emelia Modglin led off with a homer to left, her first collegiate bomb. After two outs, Kedroski singled through the left side, her second hit of the day and Fontbonne's fifth. St. Kate's held on for the win with a Griffin strikeout.

Wis.-Oshkosh

Boyer took to the mound for the start after her great relief work just minutes prior. She faced just seven batters in the first two innings before the Titans scored five runs in the third inning. After a Griffin error allowed the bases to load, Abby Menting hit a grand slam for UW-Oshkosh to take a 4-0 lead. Freshman Maddy Strickland came in to pitch with one out. Two more defensive errors allowed another Titan run to score before Diamond Thomas made two catches in a row to give the Griffins a chance at the plate.

UW-Oshkosh sent in Paige Giese to the mound to try and secure the win. Thomas walked to lead off, but was out at second on a Sam Brown fielder's choice to the shortstop. Courtney Kraus came in to run for Brown and after Maddie Cooksey singled, runners were on first and second with one out. Emily Smith lined towards second that went off the glove and into the outfield. She went to second when the Titans tried to throw out Kraus at home. Cooksey was on third when the defense tried to pick her off. The catcher's throw went into the outfield for the Griffins' second run as Smith moved to third. The left fielder also committed a throwing error and Smith scored to cut UW-Oshkosh's lead to two.

In the next inning with two outs, Cooksey drove in Kedroski who beat the throw home as the catcher was called for obstruction. Trailing 5-4, pitcher Strickland stepped to the plate with Modglin on first. The freshman notched the game-winning two-RBI home run just over the left field fence. The Titans went down in order in the sixth and seventh. All three putouts in the seventh involved Fontbonne shortstop Kedroski with a popup and two groundouts. Strickland's first collegiate home run earned her her first win in the circle as well along with her first RBI.