LEESBURG, FL – On Thursday, the Heidelberg University softball team split games against Saint Mary's (Minn.) and Rivier in Florida for The Spring Games series. A pair of one-run games consisted of yet another extra-inning match, followed by their fastest game thus far. 

Gabbie Stallbaum led the day with three hits, including an RBI. Caitlynn Newlen and Aubrey Conklin each added two hits. Ellie Tressler and Logyn Chamberlin both tallied an RBI.

GAME ONE: Saint Mary's 3-5-2   Heidelberg 2-7-1 (8 Innings)

After taking an early 1-0 lead, the Cardinals held the Student Princes scoreless until the fourth inning. Singles from Newlen and Chamberlin sent Meghan Bame, who was walked, across home plate to tie it at 1-1. Saint Mary's would take back the lead in the bottom half. 

Stallbaum stepped in as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning with a momentous double to left field. Ellie Tressler followed up with more damage, sending another out to left field that rattled the defense and gave pinch runner Hannah Hashman time to tie it up 2-2. 

Heidelberg's defense held firm in the bottom half of the inning, sending the Student Princes to extra innings for the fourth time this week. 

In the eighth, Morgan Woycitky was placed on second and moved to third off of a sacrifice bunt from Bame. Unable to get another hit, the next two batters struck out. Attempting to advance their runner to start the bottom of the eighth, Saint Mary's won the game when an errant 'Berg throw allowed the decisive run to trot home.

GAME TWO: Heidelberg 1-5-0 Rivier 0-4-1

The Student Princes picked up their lone run right off the bat, thanks to another Stallbaum RBI in the first inning. Ellie Tressler reached on a fielder's choice, followed by a wild pitch which advanced her to second. Stallbaum's delivered a single to left that scored Tressler.

A strong Heidelberg defense and pitching from Kailyn Kroll only allowed four hits from the Raiders in the quick 1-0 match. 

The Tricolor made an impressive triple play in the second with runners on second and third. First, Kroll snared a bouncer back up the middle, then threw to first for the first out. The runner on second strayed too far off second and Conklin threw to Robeson. Robeson chased the runner, now heading for third, down and tagged her in the back. The runner on third bolted for home, but Robeson sent it to the plate where Tressler applied the tag. 

From that point, the Raiders never got a runner to third, as Kroll continued her dominant performance. 
UP NEXT: 

The softball team will close out their Florida competitions on Friday when they face Johnson & Wales at 9 a.m. and Alvernia at 11:15 a.m.