CLAREMONT, Fla. – The Trinity College softball team wrapped up its annual Florida trip with a split on Saturday, defeating Kalamazoo College, 12-4, before narrowly falling to Fredonia, 7-5. The Bantams now hold a 4-5 record to start the season, while Kalamazoo drops to 5-3, and Fredonia picks up its second win of the year at 2-10.
Game 1: Trinity Defeats Kalamazoo, 12-4 (5 Innings)
The Bantams secured a dominant five-inning victory over the Hornets, fueled by a nine-run third inning that extended their lead to a commanding 10-2.
Trinity struck first in the opening inning when Abby Alper stole home following an error by the Hornets' catcher. Kalamazoo responded with a two-run homer to left field, taking a 2-1 lead into the second.
Despite a fielding error by Kalamazoo's shortstop, Trinity was unable to score in the second. However, sophomore pitcher Zofia Sargent kept the Hornets in check with a 1-2-3 inning, sending the game into the third with the Bantams trailing 2-1.
The top of the third saw Trinity explode for nine runs on six hits. Emily Goddard drove in two runs with a single to center, followed by a deep shot to left field from Kellie Schroffner that brought home Goddard and Kennedy Rogers, giving the Bantams a 5-2 lead. Hannah Mullaney added another run on an RBI single from Lizzie Nelson, and Isabella Calagna followed with an RBI single to right. With the bases loaded, Taylor Mikolajczak hit a sacrifice fly to score Schroffner, making it 7-2. A wild pitch advanced all runners, allowing Nelson to score, before Alper and Rogers capped off the inning with RBI hits to extend the lead to 10-2.
In the fifth, Mikolajczak and Haley were both sent home off of an RBI single by Rogers through the right side, pushing Trinity's lead to 12-2. Kalamazoo answered with its second two-run homer of the game, but it wasn't enough to extend play as the Bantams claimed the run-rule victory.
Sargent earned the win in the circle, allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk over five innings. The sophomore faced 20 batters, registering five flyouts and six groundouts.
Game 2: Fredonia Rallies Late to Edge Trinity, 7-5
The Bantams opened the scoring against Fredonia with runs in the first and second innings. Rogers drove in Mikolajczak with an RBI single in the first, followed by an RBI single from Calagna to score Schroffner in the second, giving Trinity a 2-0 lead.
Fredonia responded in the fifth, taking the lead with three runs off a sacrifice fly from Wandell, an RBI single by Chloe Whittingham, and an RBI double by Kirsten Lajewski to go up 3-2.
Trinity quickly tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Mullaney doubled to left field, scoring Alper. The Bantams then regained the lead as Erin Steed brought home Goddard on a sacrifice fly, making it 4-3.
Fredonia struck again in the sixth, plating two runs to reclaim a 5-4 lead. Trinity responded in the bottom half, tying the game once more at 5-5 on a Calagna RBI single that drove in Nelson.
In the seventh, the Devils took advantage of a throwing error by the Bantams' shortstop, allowing K. Kenny to reach first while both K. Lynn and A. Bogad came around to score, putting Fredonia ahead 7-5. Trinity was unable to answer in the bottom of the inning, falling in a tightly contested matchup.
The Bantams now return to New England for a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) matchup against Hamilton College Continentals on Saturday, Mar. 29th for a twin-bill in Clinton, New York at 12PM/2PM.
