CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Kenyon College continued play at the Gene Cusic Classic Monday morning winning 6-2 over Drew University and 4-2 over Rockford University at the Cape Coral Softball Complex. The pair of victories ran the Ladies' streak to five and improved their overall record to 9-3.
GAME ONEDrew took an early 2-0 lead in the first before Kenyon started stringing some hits together.
The Ladies got their first run of the game in the top of the third as
Maddy Stark drove in
Madi Maldonado on a sacrifice fly.
Hayley Howard's two-run single in the fourth pushed the Ladies in front 3-2 and they never looked back.
The Rangers never responded after Kenyon took the lead on Howard's hit and behind the arm of Stark, who came into the contest as the Kenyon career innings pitched leader (391.1), which she set the day before against University of Minnesota Morris, the Ladies clamped down on Drew.
From the second inning to the end of the game, Stark allowed just two base hits and a walk while retiring the rest of the Rangers batters. She totaled a season-high nine strikeouts as well.
Kenyon added some insurance runs late in the game. After a run scored on an error in the fifth, Maldonado came back in the sixth with her team-leading fourth double of the year plating
Amanda Coyle and
Danielle Elizarraraz. Maldonado went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in.
Molly O'Connor added two hits for the Ladies during the contest.
GAME TWOA trio of Rockford errors aided Kenyon during the second game of the day for the Ladies.
After falling behind 2-0 to the Regents, Kenyon responded with a run in the bottom half of the second.
Liz Paterra reached first after an error by the Rockford catcher and three batters later with runners on the corners and two outs, Howard singled through the left side and brought Nicole Horito home.
Kenyon tied the game at 2 in the fourth as Howard drove in Paterra on a fielder's choice. The go-ahead runs for the Ladies came in the same frame after another Regents error. A fielding miscue at second base allowed Coyle and Howard to score pushing the Ladies ahead 4-2.
Over the last three innings for Rockford, they found only one base hit and put just two runners into scoring position.
Sylvie Thomas earned her fifth win in the circle as she threw four innings, struck out two, and allowed two earned runs. Stark pitched the last three innings for Kenyon and earned her second save.
Six different Ladies picked up hits while Howard drove in a pair.
Kenyon next plays Emmanuel College and Mount Mary University March 11 in Cape Coral.
Senior Hayley Howard drove in four runs over two games March 9 for Kenyon at the Gene Cusic Classic. The Ladies
defeated Drew University 6-2 before winning 4-2 over Rockford University.
