Clermont, Fla. – March 15, 2024 - The Springfield College softball team split its final doubleheader down in Florida this afternoon at the Legends Way Complex. After dropping the opener, 8-2, to Cortland, the Pride bounced back with a 4-1 win over Beloit.

Springfield, now 8-2 on the season, will return home to open its slate on Potter Field on Saturday, March 23 with a non-conference doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut State University beginning at 12:00 pm.

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Cortland 8, Springfield 2

A triple into the gap by Michaela Ponticello (Gloversville, N.Y.) paired with a bunt RBI single by Emily Whelan (Hopkinton, Mass.) gave Springfield a 1-0 lead in the second. The Pride doubled its lead when Carissa Pecchia (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) drove in Springfield's second run of the game in the bottom of the third as she drilled a single to right center to plate Ava Rainone (White Plains, N.Y.), who began the inning by reaching on an error.

Cortland then rattled off eight unanswered runs, as it accounted for a run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth on three fielding errors by the Pride which allowed the Red Dragons held a 5-2 edge through four and a half. With the bases loaded, Halle Wright dumped a two-run single down the right field line to cap the scoring for Cortland in the fifth.

The Red Dragons loaded the bases again in the top of the sixth before a single through the left side by Tori Reich paired with another error extended Cortland three additional runs. Cortland brought in Kaeli Murtagh in the fifth in relief and she pitched three shutout innings to earn the save. Cortland starter Mckenna Barry got the win as she threw four innings, allowed seven hits and two runs.

Springfield 4, Beloit 1
After Springfield surrendered three hits which led to Beloit's lone run of the game in the first inning, the Pride answered back with a pair in the third to take the lead for good. Rainone led off the frame with a single and a one-out double from Pecchia would put a pair of runners in scoring position. Breannah McCann (Poway, Calif.) lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game before Ponticello ripped a single down the left field line to make it a 2-1 contest.

Springfield would not allow a Beloit runner to pass second base the remainder of the game and sealed the game with two more runs in the sixth as Rainone put a ball in play with the bases loaded to score Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) and Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) belted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Marissa Seyfert (Farmingdale, N.Y.). In the circle, Ashley Pugliese (Long Island, N.Y.) moved to 3-0 as she allowed one unearned run off six hits, while DeRosa picked up the save with two innings of no hit ball for the Pride.