Oilers Stay Hot in Sunshine State | Pick Up Two Victories
Winter Haven, FL - The University of Findaly softball team took the field once more in Winter Haven, FL on Sunday, March 1 versus both Seton Hill and Felician. The Oilers took down Seton Hill with a 10-1 victory in game one then continued to score double digit runs versus Felician to get the win 14-1.
Game 1 (W 10-1 vs. Seton Hill)
Lyndsey Seamon remained hot from the plate as she started the Oilers off with a double in the second inning. After a single from Sadie Gearhart which moved Seamon to third, Allison Brunner brought Seamon home on a sacrifice fly to take the early 1-0 lead.
Both teams were quite from the plate through the first three innings as the Oilers had just three hits to account for, but in the fifth inning, the Oilers doubled up on their hits and went for six runs on six hits.
Gloria Corona got the big fifth innning going with a base hit and from there the offense took over. Dylan Wiley knocked in Corona with an RBI single only for Megan Fisher to do the same in the next at back after Wiley stole second and scored off the RBI single from Fisher.
After pinch runner, Evyn Kachenmeister stole second and Seamon made it runners on first and second, Caroline Turner found a hole and singled in Kachenmeister to push the lead to 4-0. Right after that Gearhart got her second hit of the game with a two RBI double. Alyssa Harris helped push another run across the plate with an RBI single scoring Gearhart to end the sixth inning up 7-0.
The Oilers would make another statement in the seventh inning when Savannah Harvey hit a three run homerun. The Griffins would put one run on in the seventh, but the Oilers would not allow anymore in securing their third straight victory, 10-1.
The offense of the Oilers which combined for double digit hits (11) including nine different players with at least one hit. They were led by Seamon with two doubles and two runs scored. Another two hit game from Gearhart included two singles, two RBIs and one run scored. S. Harvey hit her first career homerun in the game as well plating three in the final inning.
Caragyn Yanek picked up her second win in as many days after striking out nine batters in five innings while allowing no runs on two hits. Carly Brandon finished the game in the circle tossing the final two innings striking out four batters and allowing one earned run on two hits.
Game 2 (W. 14-1 vs. Felician (5 innings)
After a top of the first inning in which the Oilers had two errors in the field allowing one run, the offense came up in the bottom half of the first inning ready to take back the lead. After an opening at bat walk to leadoff Rebecca Harvey, Dylan Wiley doubled to center field. With runners on second and third, Megan Fisher cleared the bases with a single to left to bring in one for the Oilers and tie the game 1-1 with no outs. The Oiilers were not done yet however, After a Caroline Turner infield single that scored Wiley, Devyn Zuro got on with a hit by pitch to load the bases.
Savannah Harvey was due up and delivered with an RBI single to center to make the lead 3-1. Emily Barr would take the bases loaded RBI walk, and allow R. Harvey to get an opportunity to bring some runners in. R. Harvey did that and more as she blasted a two out grand slam over the left field wall to push the lead to 8-1 after the first inning.
After a leadoff single by Lyndsey Seamon in the bottom of the second, the Oilers tallied one more to the scoreboard after Molly Pfiffner scored on a throwing error. With a 9-1 lead, the Oilers defense turned it up a notch while continuing to keep the bats hot.
In the fourth, the Oilers would tack on five more runs to make it 14-1. S. Harvey singled down the left field line to score Bailey Bates who came in to pinch run for Fisher after a base hit. Barr got another hit after another single allowing Madelyn Turner to score and load the bases up once more and once more the Oilers took advantage. Rachel Vander Roest drove one to left center to score Lauren Linn and S. Harvey off the two RBI double. Traci Merriman then singled down the left field line to bring in Emily Barr. With a five hit, five run inning the Oilers were now up 14-1.
The game would end in a five inning contest with the Oilers having another double digit hit game (12) as a team including nine different players with at least one hit. The Oilers were led by the Harvey sisters, Rebecca and Savannah on the offensive side in this one. R. Harvey had a grand slam homerun ending the game with four RBIs and two runs scored. S. Harvey had two singles with two RBIs and two runs scored. Another two Oilers accounted for two hit games including juniors Wiley and Fisher. Wiley had two singles and a run scored while Fisher had an RBI on her two singles and a run scored.
In the circle, Fisher continued to dominate to pick up another victory to improve to 3-2 on the season. Fisher tossed five innings allowed two hits, no earned runs, struck out seven while walking two batters. In the last four games, the Oilers have been firing on all cyclinders as they have outscored opponents 29-3 while pitchers have combined for a total of 33 strikeouts in that span and allowed jsut two hits in three of the four contests.
The Oilers will have a day off before taking on Mary and Clarion on Tuesday, March 3 at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. in Auburndale, FL.