Winter Haven, Fla.-March 19, 2015-  Springfield College's softball team was defeated by Skidmore College, 6-3 and St. Norbert, 6-5, on Thursday afternoon at the Rebel Games.

Springfield is now 1-7 on the year and will wrap up its Spring Break trip on Friday against Cortland and Centenary.

Skidmore 6, Springfield 3

Skidmore got on the board in the first inning off a single up the middle by Lauren Fortanto (Drexel Hill, Pa.).  Springfield answered in the second inning, with a run of its own as Pavadore walked and then took advantage of her speed and an overthrow to land her on home plate.

The Thoroughbreds responded in the third with two runs of its own after Lizette Roman-Johnston (Wilton, Conn.) reached by way of a hit and was advanced on an error and single.  Fortunato knocked her home with two outs, and would later score as well as she was guided through the base path by a couple of fielder's choices and a fielding error. 

With the score at 3-1 in the fifth, Rachel Ball (Coventry, R.I.) stepped up to the plate with two outs and powered a ball to left center to score Olivia Gonzalez (East Hartford, Conn.). 

Skidmore tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth inning as Sam Skott (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) and Casey Attonito (Concord, Mass.) were driven in by a single to right center off the bat of Abby Shea (Newport, R.I).  That would prove to be all the Thoroughbreds needed.

Springfield would rally in the sixth with a two out RBI single from Webb, but that would not be enough as Skidmore solidified the 6-3 victory.

Nicole Cring (Cooperstown, N.Y.) went the distance for the Pride in the loss, surrendering six runs on nine hits.  Kirsten Drobiak (Jewett City, Conn.) went a perfect 3-3 in the game and Ball added 2 hits for the Pride with an RBI.  Springfield tallied nine hits on the afternoon.

St. Norbert 6, Springfield 5

The Pride got its scoring started in the third inning thanks to a double off the bat of Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.).  Two batters later Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.) cranked an RBI single to center to put Springfield on the board 1-0. 

Springfield was able to push four more runs across the plate in the top of the fourth inning. Three early singles by Kirsten Drobiak (Jewett City, Conn.),  Mackenzie Navarro (Taunton, Mass.), and Alicia Pavadore (Taunton, Mass.) allowed the Pride to produce a pair of early runs.  With runners in scoring position, Nelson pushed a single up the middle to score a pair of baserunners.

Loda was able to keep St. Norbert's bats quiet until the fifth inning, as the Green Knights got things moving with a single, fielder's choice and walk to load the bases.  Tayler Long (Green Bay, Mich.) put the ball in play to score Emily Laufer (West Bend, Mich.) to put the score at 4-1.  Codi Jenshak (Escanaba, Mich.) hit the ball to the outfield, giving two runners a chance to motor across home plate.  Leigh Grall (Janesville, Mich.) added to the damage as she reached on a fielding error, which scored Long.

St. Norbert was persistent in the seventh, as Long and Jenshak would start the inning off with back-to-back hits to put the tying and go-ahead run on base for Grall.  Pitches later, Grall ripped a double to left center to score both base runners, which ended the game, 6-5, in St. Norbert's favor.

Nelson had a terrific day at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance, while Drobiak, Loda, Pavadore, and Navarro each tallied a pair of hits.

Loda was tagged with the loss as she gave up four earned runs in six innings off eight hits while striking out four.