Softball Splits Four Games to Begin Week as Starkey Earns First Two Wins

Clermont, FL    The Judson University Softball Team took two of its four contests to begin the week in suburban Orlando. Judson on Monday first dominated Penn State-New Kensington 17-1, then fell to Carlow 12-10. On Tuesday, the Eagles fell 5-0 to Northwestern Ohio and then defeated Dordt in a 6-5 8-inning thriller. 

Judson got the offense going in Monday's opener as Sarah Herbert (1 RBI single) and Amelia Jiminez (2 RBI double) drove in the game's first three runs in the opening frame. Judson put up at 10 spot in the second inning to pull away. That rally included a Gigi Velaqez RBI double, an Amaya Chavez two-run home run, a Jimenez RBI double, a Stephanie Hause RBI single, a two-RBI single from Naomi Sweeney, a two-run triple from Lexi Knowles and another Velazquez double. In the fourth, Velazquez hit an RBI single and later scored on Tatyana Chavez's single. Braly Wiser had an RBI groundout in the fifth for another insurance run. Amelia Jimenez earned her first win as an Eagle, allowing only one run on two hits in five innings of work while walking one and striking out one. 

Against Carlow, Judson appeared to be on the verge of being mercy-ruled, however, the Eagles made a ferocious seven-run rally in the sixth and seventh innings to pull within two. Hause got the Judson offense going with with an RBI single in the bottom of the first to give Judson a 1-0 advantage. In the bottom of the third, trailing by three, Autumn Johanningsmeier hit an RBI single to make it 4-3. Carlow would proceed to score the game's next eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Judson answered with a huge rally including a Herbert RBI single, a Hause RBI single, a wild pitch that plated Naomi Sweeney and an Amaya Chavez RBI single. Sophie Schomer allowed four earned runs on six hits in 2.2 innings while striking out two and walking one as she suffered the loss. Jimenez pitched 2.0 innings, allowing no earned runs (three total). 

Against UNOH, Judson had a total of four hits. Amaya Chavez, Hause, and two from Knowles. Sophie Schomer pitched all six innings, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits, while striking out two and walking one.

In the Dordt contest, Judson scored the game's first four runs in the second inning. Jimenez stole home, followed by an RBI single from Sweeney. Velazquez added a two-run RBI double to make it 4-0. Amaya Chavez hit an RBI single to plate Lexi Knowles in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 5-1 Judson lead. Dordt would score four in the fifth inning to force the game into extras. Judson won the contest when Wiser scored on a Knowles sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. 

The two wins mark Starkey's first two wins as the Head Coach of Judson Softball. Judson (2-6) faces Dordt and Spring Arbor on Thursday.