KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 8, 2016) – Junior Alexis Schengrund (Hillsborough, N.J.) hurled a three-hit shutout in the circle and classmate Bree VanReenen (Elkton, Md.) hit a two-run single to provide insurance as the Widener University softball team defeated nationally-ranked Central College by a 3-0 score in eight innings at the Rebel Spring Games on Tuesday afternoon. The Pride also dropped a 5-3 decision to Defiance earlier in the day.
 
The later game against Central (6-3) proved to be a classic pitcher's duel between Schengrund and Karly Olson, as neither side could manage to push a run across through seven frames of action. The Dutch had their best to score in the bottom of the seventh when Olson hit a leadoff double to center and advanced to third a play later on a sacrifice bunt by Brooke Brommel, but Schengrund got out of the jam by striking out the next two batters.
 
With the speedy Ally Horvath (Chalfont, Pa.) placed on second base to begin the eighth frame, the Pride played small ball by having sophomore Lauren DelRomano (Broomall, Pa.) hit a sacrifice bunt to advance the junior all-conference standout over to third. Senior captain Heather Forward (Philadelphia, Pa.) then reached on a bunt single that scored Horvath two plays later, and VanReenen came through with a two-run single to make it 3-0 before Schengrund got out of the bottom half of the frame unscathed to seal the win.
 
Schengrund picked up the victory in the circle and improved her record to 2-0. In addition to yielding only three hits, the junior did not issue a walk for the second straight outing and fanned seven. Olson suffered the loss after giving up six hits and three runs, including two earned, over 7.2 frames. She struck out three and walked four.
 
Today's softball victory over Central marked the first time Widener has defeated a nationally-ranked opponent in any sport during the 2015-16 academic year. Central, which is currently tabbed 20th in the latest NFCA National Poll, has advanced to a national-record 27 NCAA Tournaments and won 14 regional titles over the last 30 years as one of the perennial powers in the sport of softball at the Division III level.
 
Earlier in the day, Defiance (3-3) scored two runs in the top of the first inning against Widener and never trailed the rest of the way. Sophomore Katie Sterling (Middletown, Del.) and Horvath each recorded RBI singles to keep the game close in the early frames, but the Yellow Jackets went yard twice in the third and fifth innings to put eventually put the game out of reach. After VanReenen singled home Forward to make it 5-3 in the bottom half of the seventh, Yellow Jacket hurler Jamie Kimbler induced a groundout to retire the tying run that came to the plate for the final out.
 
Kimbler picked up the win for Defiance by throwing five strong innings of relief. She gave up one run and five hits to notch her first victory of the young season. Horvath was tagged with the setback after yielding five runs, including three earned, over four innings of work.
 
Widener (3-1) will take tomorrow off and conclude action at the Rebel Spring Games in Florida on Thursday when it faces Baldwin Wallace at 1:30 p.m. and Mitchell College at 3:45 p.m.