CLERMONT, Fla. – The Capital University softball team split their games on day two with a 8-5 extra inning loss to Ursinus College and a lengthy 9-8 win with Eastern Nazarene College.
The results pushed the Comets to a 1-2 record after their second day of competition today, and both results were decided by freshman pitcher
Kelcie Schnitzler.
Despite Schnitzler getting both the game one loss and the game two win,
Krislyn Bayles started both contests and threw a combined seven innings where she punched out three hitters.
At the plate, the Comets were led by a handful of players who saw positive days hitting the ball. As a team, Cap slugged out 22 hits in the two games, led largely by multi-hit performances from
Tiffany Zuelzke,
Lexie Leggett,
Liz Stonerock,
Maci Stults,
Kelcie Schnitzler,
Maddie McKinniss, and
Krislyn Bayles.
GAME ONE: Ursinus wins 8-5 (8 innings)
Cap was set back in the top of the first as Ursinus scored the first run of the game, but the Comets responded well.
Tiffany Zuelzke walked to lead off the bottom of the first, and stole second, putting herself in scoring position, where
Lexie Leggett hit a double, scoring Zuelzke. Leggett then scored on the next batter as
Krislyn Bayles singled through the right side.
Both teams then traded big blows as Ursinus's Solow drilled a home run to dead center in the top of the third, before
Lexie Leggett brought the power, hitting her first home run of the season, a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the third.
With Capital ahead 3-2, Ursinus scored twice in the fourth to go ahead 4-3. In the bottom half of the fifth,
Krislyn Bayles once again came through, singling to center field, allowing
Maddie McKinniss to score, leveling the game at 4-4.
The tied score would hold through and force an extra eighth inning. There, Ursinus finished things off in the top half of the inning, scoring four runs. In the bottom of the eighth, Cap got some consolation as
Maci Stults hit
Liz Stonerock home on an RBI groundout.
Kelcie Schnitzler ended up with the loss, allowing three runs (two earned).
GAME TWO: Capital win 9-8
The Comets needed a marathon seven-inning contest to survive the second game to garner their first win of the young season. The teams got out to an exciting 6-5 scoreline after the first three innings.
Capital hit the scoreboard for four runs in the second as
Hannah St. Clair reached on a fielder's choice that enabled
Liz Stonerock to score. Then, with the bases loaded,
Tiffany Zuelzke sent a double to the center field fence, scoring St. Clair,
Kelcie Schnitzler, and
Maci Stults.
The fielder's choice once again paid dividends for Capital in the third as
Kayedon Martin banged into one, which enabled
Krislyn Bayles to move around the bases – with a little help from an errant throw by the Eastern Nazarene third baseman.
In the meantime, the Lions' kept their offense going with six runs in the same span of game time, and even tacked on a seventh run in the fourth inning.
A huge top of the sixth inning proved the difference in the game.
Keana Walters led off the inning with a walk, and then Zuelzke bunted to get on base. With runners at first and second, Leggett singled to right field, and the Eastern Nazarene fielders began to commit errors again. A throwing error by the right fielder allowed Walters to score.
Another fielder's choice allowed Zuelzke to score from third, before another throwing error by the Lions allowed Leggett and Bayles to score, putting Cap ahead 9-7.
The Lions fought back for a run in the bottom of the sixth, but that would be as close as they would come, with the game ending 9-8.
Schnitzler redeemed herself with the win in the game, as she threw four innings allowing just two runs. The win marked the first of her young Capital career.
UP NEXT
Capital will take their first off day of the week tomorrow, before returning to Hancock Park on Wednesday, March 9th. They will play – for right now – at 1:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. against Bethany Lutheran and Penn State Behrend.
