CLERMONT, FLA.—The opening two games of The Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida pitted the Hamline University softball team against Ripon (Wis.) and Salem State (Mass.) on Tuesday. The eight-run mercy rule came into play with a pair of 8-0 (5 Innings) victories.
The Pipers improve to 2-2. Ripon fell to 1-11, while Salem State's record dropped to 0-4.
Hamline 8, Ripon 0 (5 Innings)
The second inning resulted in Hamline's first run of the contest courtesy of Kira Krueger, who led off with being hit by a pitch and moved to second base on Theresa Klinnert's groundout. Krueger scored thanks to Gabby Tuhy's single up the middle that made the score 1-0.
The Pipers capitalized on four Redhawk errors throughout the third inning, which turned into seven runs that sealed an 8-0 score.
Megan Rubbelke, Tuhy, and Lydia Lecher each went 2-for-3 at the plate for Hamline.
Klinnert picked up the pitching win, as she allowed just two hits and walked no batters over the opening three innings. Dana Rosbacka came in for the final two innings and allowed two hits and walked no batters in the pitching circle.
The Redhawks finished the game with five errors.
Hamline 8, Salem State 0 (5 Innings)
Hamline pitcher Kira Krueger allowed just one hit, walked no batters and struck out seven over five innings of work.
Two Vikings errors in the third inning turned into two Pipers runs that made the score 2-0.
The fourth inning produced four Hamline runs, where Gabby Tuhy led off with a single up the middle and eventually scored off Raelyn Costley's single that pushed the score to 3-0. Lydia Lecher and Jenna Rubbelke each followed with infield singles that loaded the bases, which set up Amber Peterson's sacrifice fly that scored Costley to make things 4-0. Krueger helped herself with a triple, which resulted in two more runs courtesy of Jenna Rubbelke and Lecher that extended the margin to 6-0.
Abigail Carlson and Megan Ahlness put the game to bed with fifth-inning RBI-singles that sent the score to 8-0. Savannah Johnson and Tuhy scored on the plays.
Tuhy and Krueger each went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Pipers, who didn't have one strikeout in the contest and produced 11 hits as a team.
The Pipers will face Knox (Ill.) and UW-Platteville at Hancock Park in Clermont, Florida tomorrow, Wednesday, March 16 at 9 a.m. (ET) and 11:15 a.m. (ET).
