KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 7, 2017) – Sophomore Liv Rogers (West Chester, Pa.) drove in a pair of runs to help lead a balanced offense as the Widener University softball team rallied to earn an 8-5 victory over Muskingum at the Rebel Spring Games on Tuesday morning. The Pride also fell to Lakeland by a 4-2 score later in the day.
 
Muskingum (1-4) built up an early lead by scoring three times in the bottom of the first, but the Pride had an immediate answer by adding tacking on three runs of their own in the top of the second. Batting with the bases loaded, senior Liz Antonucci (Nesconset, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring junior Katie Sterling (Middletown, Del.), and then Rogers reached on a bunt to plate freshman Carli Benozich (Drexel Hill, Pa.) and bring Widener within one. Three plays later, freshman Jamie Gosselin (Abington, Pa.) drew a bases-loaded walk to even the score.
 
After the teams exchanged runs in the middle innings, the Pride tallied for runs in the sixth to pull away. Junior Lauren DelRomano (Broomall, Pa.) drove in the go-ahead run on a hard single to third base, and Antonucci later reached on an error in the outfield which scored two more later in the frame to give the Pride an 8-4 cushion. The Fighting Muskies came within three when Jessica Matthews hit a sacrifice fly to center, but senior Alexis Schengrund (Hillsborough, N.J.) was able to silence the bats down the stretch to help the Pride come away with the win.
 
Senior Ally Horvath (Chalfont, Pa.) won her first decision for Widener after giving up seven hits and three earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. She struck out one and did not issue a walk. Schengrund picked up her first save by throwing 1.2 scoreless frames and only allowing one hit. Muskingum's Haylea Deboit was tagged with the loss after giving up two hits and four runs without recording an out in the seventh.
 
Later in the day, Lakeland (5-4) built up a 4-0 lead by most notably a pair of RBI singles from Sami Jo Williams in the second and sixth frames. Widener, however, started to come back by scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth to slash the deficit in half.
 
The Pride got on the board by the unlikeliest of circumstances. DelRomano walked and then drew attention on a continuation in an attempt to trick the Muskies, allowing Horvath to come home from third, and found a way to reach third and avoid being caught in a rundown to complete a rare double steal. The junior second baseman then came home on a sacrifice fly by Benozich.
 
After senior Devin Coyne (Chesapeake, Va.) came to the circle and kept the Muskies in check during the top of the seventh, Widener threatened to at least tie and possibly win the game in the bottom of the frame by loading the bases with only one out. Horvath unleashed a bullet up the middle on the ensuing at bat, but second baseman Hailey Jester snagged the ball in her glove and stepped on the bag to complete the unassisted double play.
 
Nikki Saviano picked up the victory and improved her record to 3-1 for Lakeland after yielding six hits and two runs, which were both earned, over six frames. Taylor Bush earned the save by keeping the Pride off the board in the seventh with a little help from her defense. Widener junior Katie Rabuck (Hegins, Pa.) took the loss by allowing five hits and four runs, including three earned, in six innings of work.
 
Widener (2-2) will take tomorrow off and finish competing at the Rebel Spring Games on Thursday. The team will face Simpson at 9 a.m. and Bluffton at 11:15 a.m.