CLERMONT, Fla. – Coming off of their first off day of the spring break trip, the Capital University softball team dropped two straight games on Wednesday afternoon to Bethany Luthern and Penn State Behrend. 

In game one, the Comets fell to the Vikings via a 14-6 scoreline after five innings. In game two, Cap lost to Behrend 6-2. 

Through the two games, Liz Stonerock collected a team-best three hits and three RBIs. 

GAME ONE: Bethany Lutheran wins 14-6
After a scoreless first inning, Capital got on the board first with three runs in the top of the second. Maci Stults started with a walk, and advanced on Maddie McKinniss' single up the middle. The two of them moved to second and third on Stonerock's groundout. Kelcie Schnitzler drew another walk, loading the bases. With the bases loaded, a patient eye by the Capital lineup led to three straight runs. First, Kayedon Martin walked in a run, then Tiffany Zuelzke walked in another run, and Lexie Leggett rounded it out by getting hit by a pitch. 

Bethany Lutheran got a run back in the bottom of the second before Capital got their fourth in the top of the third. Maci Stults once again led off the inning by reaching base – this time via a single. She then found herself on third base after consecutive wild pitches by the Viking pitcher. A third wild pitch enabled Maddie McKinniss to reach and set up a first and third situation. On the bases, McKinniss and Stults pulled off a double steal, leading to Stults scoring. 

In the bottom of the third, Cap's Krislyn Bayles induced back-to-back groundouts from the Bethany Lutheran hitters before an error on the would-be third out kept the inning alive. The Vikings took full advantage of the mishap and slapped six runs on the board before the inning would come to a close. 

The Vikings added another five runs in the bottom half of the fourth, all but putting the game out of reach for Capital. 

Bayles led off the top of the fifth with a single and then came around to score on Liz Stonerock's RBI single. Then, again with Maci Stults on third, Cap pulled off the double steal as Stonerock took second and Stults scored. Unfortunately, both runs would prove consolation as Bethany Lutheran finished off the run-rule victory in the bottom of the fifth. 

GAME TWO: Penn State Behrend wins 6-2
Game two moved along at a relatively quick pace as neither team really got a consistent flow of offense going. Behrend played small ball and took a run in the first, two in the second, two in the fourth, and one in the sixth to build out a lead. 

In the bottom of the sixth, trailing 6-0, Capital gained a bit of traction. Zuelzke led off with a walk and then advanced to second on Kayedon Martin's single to left. The pair then moved ahead one base on Krislyn Bayles' walk. Lexie Leggett then sent a towering drive to left that cleared the fence, but unfortunately it drifted to the wrong side of the foul pole. Unfortunately a couple pitches later, she popped out. Thankfully, Liz Stonerock was on hand to drill an RBI single to right center, sending McKinniss and Zuelzke home. 

Any chance at completing a comeback was snuffed out as a questionable call at the plate called Krislyn Bayles out on a fielder's choice from Hannah St. Clair. Unfortunately, the wind had been taken out of their sails and Capital couldn't get anything further, ending the game 6-2. 

UP NEXT
Capital will get back on the field tomorrow morning with a 10:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. doubleheader. Both games will be at Hancock Park on fields four and two. The 10:15 a.m. game is slated against Berea College, with the second game seeing Capital compete with Marian.