FORT MYERS, Fla. – A 6-0 shutout of Elms College and 5-4 victory against Clark University pushed the Kenyon softball team's record to 6-0 following Wednesday's action at CenturyLink Sports Complex. The undefeated start through a half-dozen contests is just the second occurrence in program history, and one win off tying the record 7-0 start the 2014 team accomplished.
 
GAME ONE
 
Kenyon's plan heading into the contest against the Blazers was to use an assortment of pitchers. The move from Coach Erin O'Neill, who attained her 150th win at Kenyon by game's end, worked out.
 
Keely Sweet, Sophia Gottdiener, Austen Whibley and Tori Rogers combined to give up just three hits, induced 13 groundouts, struck out three and allowed just five Elms base runners to reach scoring position.
 
As it turned out, the only scoring Kenyon's offense needed came in the second frame. After Grace Pilz stole second, a groundout from freshman Olivia Hurley drove in Nicole Bishay who led off the inning with a single.
 
With Kenyon's staff controlling the game, the Ladies opened the contest wide open with five runs in the sixth. Highlighting the inning was an RBI infield single from Britny Patterson and run-scoring hits from Hurley and Emily Buckwalter.
 
Bishay led the Kenyon attack going 3-for-3 while Lauren Graf added a pair of hits.
 
GAME TWO
 
The Ladies kept their cool and made the necessary defensive plays in the final two frames after the Cougars nearly rallied from a 5-1 deficit.
 
Leading up to the final innings, both pitchers, Clark's Alexis Redish and Kenyon's Emily Pater, were very solid. Those two gave up a combined three hits, and induced a couple lineouts and five groundouts.
 
After two scoreless, the Ladies got a 3-0 lead in the top half of the third. Kassie Rimel and Bella Albrecht led off with singles before a one-out double down the third-base line from fellow freshman Sara Campagna plated her classmates. Kenyon added one more on a Patterson RBI double.
 
The Cougars were able to get one back in the home half of the inning, before the Ladies extended their advantage to 5-1 in the fourth.
 
Buckwalter singled, Pilz drilled a two-bagger to left center, and then Albrecht lined a shot into left field that plated Kenyon's fourth and fifth runs.
 
That score remained until the sixth and seventh innings.
 
In the sixth, a double from JC Urella put two Cougars in scoring position and Jessica Mart followed with a sacrifice fly to center field. The throw home from Grace Finn was just a bit off which allowed Olivia Barks to cross home. Clark added one more run, its third, on a groundout from Kaylee Gibson.
 
Clark really made things interesting in the seventh.
 
After a pair of pinch hitters led off with singles, a sacrifice bunt from Redish moved two onto second and third. In the next plate appearance, Christina Kopacz took a 3-1 pitch from Emily Pater (2-0) and drove it into center field. Finn secured the ball and once again, nearly threw out the base runner. However, Isabella DiOrio tagged home to bring the tally to 5-4.
 
Kenyon was then able to breathe a sigh of relief as a 1-1 pitch to Barks was fouled off and Campagna took a few steps behind her to make the catch.
 
Campagna and Albrecht led the Ladies with two RBI each while Pater tossed a complete game, scattered eight hits, four runs, struck out three and induced 11 groundouts and seven fly-outs.
 
Tomorrow, the Ladies will have some rematches with Penn State Altoona and Albion College starting at 9 a.m. at CenturyLink.