CLERMONT, Fla. - The Rose-Hulman softball team began its season today down in the Sunshine State. The Fighitn' Engineers split a pair of games early Monday morning.
St. Mary's (Minn.) 3, Rose-Hulman 2
Rose-Hulman fell in its season opener to St. Mary's (Minn.) in the first game on Monday. The Fightin' Engineers got out to a 2-0 lead following a 2-run double from Gabbi Markison in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Markison finished 3-3 with a pair of doubles in the season opener. Mandi Routon finished 1-4 with a run and also made a nice diving play in the field at shortstop.
St. Mary's (Minn.) would score three runs in the top of the 5th inning to take a one-run lead late in the ballgame.
Rose-Hulman 14, Cabrini 4 - 5 Innings
Rose-Hulman's offense came to life in the second game of the day against the Cabrini Cavaliers. The Fightin' Engineers collected 16 hits in five innings.
RHIT jumped out to an early 3-0 in the top of the 1st inning. Maddie Struble got the scoring started for Rose with an RBI single to left that scored Mandi Routon. Alexis Price rocketed a ball to the wall in right that plated a pair. Jessica Will made the score 4-0 in favor of the Fightin' Engineers with an RBI single to left in the top of the 3rd inning.
Cabrini answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
Rose-Hulman answered right back with a 10-run top of the 5th inning. Mandi Routon started the the scoring in the 5th inning with an RBI single to left. Gabbi Markison followed with a two-run single to left that made the score 7-3. Maddie Struble kept the inning going with an RBI single up the middle. After a Cabrini error that allowed another Engineer to score, Alexis Price drove in another run to put RHIT up seven, 10-3. Michelle Korf tacked on another run with an RBI single to center and Cydney Ogan drove in a run with a single to right. The Fightin' Engineers were not done in the inning as the team batted around through the order. Mandi Routon dropped a perfect bunt down the first baseline that allowed Cassidy Yeomans to score from third; Routon beat out the throw to first for her second hit of the inning.
The Cavaliers would pick up one more run in the bottom of the 4th inning but would not threaten the remainder of the ballgame.
Maddie Struble and Michelle Korf both went 3-4 against Cabrini. Alexis Price went 2-4 with 3 RBI. Mandi Routon went 2-4 with 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases. Struble, Jessica Will, Korf, Yeomans, and Ogan each scored twice in the win.
Pitcher Baylee Sparks scattered nine hits over five innings in route to her first victory of the season.
Rose-Hulman (1-1) will return to action tomorrow morning down in Florida. The Fightin' Engineers will play at 9:30 am against Augustana (Ill.) and at 11:30 am against Capital.
