Pride Split Pair of Saturday Games

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Clarke University softball team split on the second day of its trip to Florida on Saturday. The Pride fell 6-5 to Michigan-Dearborn in the early game before defeating Warner 5-3 in the afternoon.

In the loss, the Pride (4-4) plated four runs in the first inning. Kila Carbine got things started with her first home run of the year, a three-run shot that scored Malarie Huseman and Lily King. Izriah Hodson joined the opening-frame fun after connecting on her second home run of the year to cap off the inning.

Three errors by Clarke in the third inning helped the Wolverines (1-1) take the lead by scoring six-stright runs. After leaving two runners in scoring position over the next three innings, Elizabeth Leverton got the bottom of the seventh started for the Pride with a single, followed by a single from King. Daja Bates advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt.

Lindsey Hermann flew out to second base at the next at-bat, which scored Leverton from third and trimmed the deficit to one. Huseman took a walk at her turn at the plate before stealing second, which put King and Huseman in scoring position with one out remaining. However, the Pride's comeback effort fell just short after Madylynn Stapleton was retired by the Wolverine's pitcher for the final out of the game. 

Huseman finished the game with five strikeouts and one walk, while King and Leverton combined for half of the team's hits at two apiece.  

In the win over Warner, the Pride trailed for the first four innings before Abby Archer scored off of an error in the fifth to even things up at 1-1.

The Royals (4-6) regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth after a single to right scored a Warner runner and an error advanced another to home. The lead didn't last long, however, as the Pride tied things up at the top of the sixth when Gray and Archer reached base before Leverton reached first on an error, which helped pave the way for Archer and Gray to rush home.  

After some stellar defense at the plate helped keep Warner off the board in the bottom of the sixth, the Pride utilized back-to-back singles from Bates and Hermann to kick off the top of the seventh inning. Hodson advanced the two runners after a sacrifice bunt before Bates scored off of a fielder's choice that saw Gray reach first safely. With runners on first and third, Samantha Stout singled to right field to score Hermann for the final run of the day.

The Pride are back in action tomorrow against Point Park (9 a.m. CT) and Cleary (11:15 a.m. CT).