Lehigh tops Indiana State, falls to FGCU on first day at UCF Spring Fling

Saturday, March 12

Orlando, Fla.

9:00:00 AM

Lehigh University

7-4

Florida Gulf Coast

14-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Florida Gulf Coast	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	7	1
Lehigh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Indiana State	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	5	7	1
Lehigh	2	1	0	0	2	1	X	6	10	1

Lehigh tops Indiana State, falls to FGCU on first day at UCF Spring Fling Image

3/12/2016 4:07:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Lehigh softball team began its spring break trip to Florida with a split on day one of the UCF Spring Fling Saturday at the UCF Softball Complex. After being limited to three hits in a 2-0 loss to Florida Gulf Coast in the morning, the Mountain Hawks built a 6-1 lead before holding off a late Indiana State charge to defeat the Syacamores 6-5.

With the split, Lehigh stands at 8-4 on the season.

Lehigh scored three runs in the first two innings against Indiana State (3-12) and added two in the fifth and one in the sixth to build a 6-1 advantage against the Syacamores. Freshman Ashley Quidolit led off the bottom of the first with a walk and after a sacrifice bunt and a single moved to third base. Quidolit scored on a Bailey Benefiel wild pitch. Senior Morgan Decker singled to move Quidolit to third and then scored Lehigh's second run on a double to left center by junior Vicky Lattanzio.

Sophomore Lindsay Phillips led off the second with a double to center and scored on a Quidolit groundout to give Lehigh a 3-0 lead after two innings.

Freshman Emily Sorem retired the first 10 batters she faced before issuing a walk and a hit in the fourth, but managed to work out of trouble.

Indiana State broke through with a run in the top of the fifth on a Monique Castillo RBI single but Lehigh answered with two runs in the home fifth. Quidolit reached on catcher's interference, stole a base and scored on a one-out RBI single by Lattanzio. Two batters later, sophomore Carolyn Wright singled home Lattanzio to extend Lehigh's lead to 5-1.

In the sixth, Lehigh used a two-out rally to extend its lead to 6-1. Junior Ashley Cole started things with a pinch hit single. After a single by senior Alexis Watanabe, Decker singled to left center, plating Cole. The Mountain Hawks loaded the bases but were limited to just the one run.

With a five run lead, Lehigh brought sophomore Cassie Lajeunesse in relief but after three consecutive walks to begin the inning, Sorem re-entered. Sorem struck out the first batter she faced in the seventh but an error allowed Rylee Holland to score to bring Indiana State within 6-2. Lehigh got the second out on a force play at the plate, but Shaye Barton's three-run double to right field brought the Sycamores within a run. A single put the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at first but Sorem got Mary Turitto to ground out to Decker to end the game.

Sorem improved to 3-2 on the season with a final line of two runs (one earned) on seven hits in seven innings. She walked two and struck out three.

Lehigh had 10 hits against Indiana State with Watanabe, Decker, Lattanzio and Wright each recording two.

Benefiel took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work.

In its first game of the day, Florida Gulf Coast's Riley Randolph threw a three-hit shutout with no walks and three strikeouts.

For Lehigh, junior Christine Campbell (5-2) allowed two runs on seven hits, working out of trouble in each of the first four innings before FGCU plated two runs in the fifth.

With runners on second and third and one out, Louie Ross put the Eagles in front with a sacrifice squeeze bunt. Racquel Fournet followed with a RBI single to give FGCU the 2-0 advantage.

Watanabe picked up Lehigh's first hit on a first inning single but was caught stealing when Decker struck out. Sophomore Katie Schultz had Lehigh's other two hits, including a fifth-inning double, but was stranded both times.

Florida Gulf Coast finished the day at 14-11 after falling 7-0 to Utah.

The Mountain Hawks will close out the UCF Spring Fling portion of spring break on Sunday with games against Indiana State (9 a.m.) and Purdue (1:30 p.m.).