Griffins earn first win of the season
Clermont, Fla. - Fontbonne softball earned their first victory of 2016 in grand fashion today. The young squad was forced to move some players around due to injuries from yesterday's battles and it worked out for the Griffins. The win marked a significant numbers as head coach Bill Rosner and associate head coach Mike Akers recorded their 200th win against the North Central College Cardinals 10-2 in six innings to open day two of play at THE Spring Games down in Florida. Also along for the duration is assistant coach Taylor (Rosner) Arnold.
With senior catcher Emily Smith getting through an injury from the previous day, the veteran was placed in the outfield to keep the lineup more consistent. Freshman Emelia Modglin transferred from third base to behind the plate while Sarah Kitchen took over at the corner for Modglin.
Fontbonne totaled 15 hits, four stolen bases, a triple, a double play and a home run by sophomore Sam Brown to end a seven-game losing streak. Picking up the win was lone junior Michelle Boyer who pitched 5.1 innings and with no hits while striking out three. Kitchen went two-of-three with four assists while Modglin earned three hits on four at-bats with three RBI's and two runs scored. The young catcher also caught her first stealer, throwing the Cardinal out by three feet. Smith went two-of-three while freshman centerfielder Maddie Cooksie hit two of four attempts including a triple and scored twice.
North Central's two runs were held scoreless after the first inning. Their only hit was also in the first inning.
Carthage
The Griffins earned back-to-back wins today with a 9-3 win over Carthage College. Freshman Maddie Cooksey hit her second bomb of the year, this time to center field just over CollegeCasts video camera and over the head of broadcaster Tim Miller in the Griffins' opening offensive chance. Carthage tied the game in the bottom half on a wild pitch and wouldn't score again until the fifth inning.
Designated player Maddy Strickland's only hit was a double in the second and was brought home on a double by Brown. Brown stole third and went home on a throwing error by Carthage to give Fontbonne a 3-1 lead.
Lindsay Schaefer hit her first home run of her senior season to center before Courtney Kedroski doubled. She was brought home on a single to right center by Kitchen. Alleigh Kruse singled in the fourth and stole second to get in scoring position. The freshman gave the Griffins' a 6-1 advantage after Emily Smith hit through the hole on the left side.
The Griffin defense lagged in the fifth inning, allowing Carthage to score two runs after two errors and a walk were committed. Fontbonne needed just one more out when two more errors scored two Lady Reds. Fontbonne's final error was also committed in the fifth, but didn't score a run.
Freshman Melanie Russo didn't want to be left out of the home-run derby, hitting her first collegiate dinger to left field in the seventh for the final run. Strickland came in to pitch for Fontbonne's final defensive stand and struck out two of her three batters faced.
Senior pitcher Madi Leonard recorded her first win of the season with 10 strikeouts in six innings. Fontbonne totaled five stolen bases and 13 hits in the contest.
On the day
Modglin tallied a .750 batting average. Kitchen averaged .714 at the plate and led all Griffin batters with five hits on seven at-bats. Fontbonne's pitchers struck out 16 in 13 innings while the team tallied six strikeouts.
The Griffins will look to continue to add to the win column tomorrow with games at 9 and 11 a.m. Eastern. Fontbonne's final two games of the break on Thursday at Hancock Park have been moved up an hour to 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern.