Naples, FL - The Polars Softball team found their first two wins of season as they defeated the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Emerson College by scores of 9-7 and 4-3.
In game one the Trailblazers got on the scoreboard first to take a 1-0 lead. A three run second inning for the Polars and one run in the top of the 6th gave Crown the 4-1 advantage. After MCLA scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to bring it to within 4-3, the Polars offense exploded scoring five runs in the top of seventh.
Emmy Romportl and
Kaylee Fude led off with back to back singles, before
Katie Vaughan hit a two run triple to right center field and
Sydney Gardner followed with an RBI triple to right field. MCLA scored 4 runs in the bottom half, but Crown came out on top 9-7.
Emmy Romportl pitched 6 innings of play and only allowed 2 earned runs on 8 hits.
Abbie Carroll pitched the final inning and shut the door allowing no earned runs.
Abbey Underdahl went 3-4 from the dish and totaled 3 runs to lead the Crown offense. Vaughan, Romportl, Gardener, and
Maliya Martinez all notched multi-hit efforts.
Game two saw Emerson College jump out in front with one run in the 2nd inning and one run in the 3rd inning. Fude led of the bottom of the 3rd inning with a hit by pitch. Singles of Vaughan and Gardner scored the Polars first run. A sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice drove in Vaughan and the score tied up at 2-2. Following one run from the Lions, Gardner reached on a one out single through the right side and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Underdahl.
Catelyn Garza then tied the game at 3-3 with a line drive single down the left field line.
Neither team could push across a run in the 7th inning and the battle went to extra innings. After a double play and a fly out to end the top half of the 8th inning Crown got their turn in the bottom half. Romportl had been placed at second base to start the inning and moved the third on the very first pitch on a wild pitch. With one out, Vaughan hit a deep fly ball to drive in Romportl for the 4-3 walk off win.
Carroll pitched all 8 innings only allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits for her first win of the season. Gardner totaled 2 hits and 1 RBI to lead the Crown offense. Garza notched 1 hit and 2 RBI's in three at bats.
The Polars move to 2-8 on the season and will next face off with Coe College and Eureka College Tuesday, March 12th with game times at 8am (CST) and 12pm (CST).
