Sunday, March 4 through Saturday, March 10, Elizabethtown College’s softball team played in the Spring Games presented by PFX Athletics in Florida. The Jays won eight of their 10 games against opponents from all over the country, giving them a strong 8-2 start to the season.
Saturday, March 4, Etown had back-to-back games at the Sleepy Hollows Sports Complex in Leesburg, Florida, against Finlandia University and Bridgewater State University.
The Jays won both games 3-1 and 8-0, respectively. In their first game against Finlandia, the Jays earned three runs, with junior Emma Varrato and first-years Sarah Personette and Amber Sergas each scoring once.
Varrato also earned her 100th career hit during the game. In their second game against Bridgewater, graduate student Kirstin Blass led the Jays with two runs. Etown earned six more runs from six other players including Varrato and Personette again. Overall, the Jays had 18 hits, the most the team has earned since 2010.
The Jays were back on the field the next day against Nebraska Wesleyan University and Penn State Behrends, this time at Hancock Park in Clermont, Florida. Etown defeated both teams, beating Nebraska Wesleyan 10-8 and shutting out Penn State 6-0. After these two wins, the Jays were off to their best start since 2002 at 4-0.
Etown kept up their winning ways in their fifth game against Carthage College Wednesday, March 7.
A game-high three RBIs from Personette and Varatto’s second home run of the season led the Blue Jays to an 8-1 victory. Etown’s winning streak was snapped later that morning by Concordia University Chicago, who handed the Jays an 8-3 loss.
Concordia went up 2-0 at the top of the first inning. Blass and Varatto each hit a home run in the second half of the first inning, tying the score at two.
The Cougars pulled away again with two runs in the fifth inning. Blass scored again in the sixth, but Concordia came back in the seventh to score three more runs and pull away with the win.
After a tough loss to Concordia, Etown bounced back with a victory in their seventh game against Roger Williams University Friday, March 9. Etown went up early with one run in the first inning and another in the second.
Roger Williams came back in the fifth, tying the game at two. The Jays did their part, adding three more to their total, making the score 5-2 going into the bottom of the eighth inning. In the last play of the game, Etown was up 5-4 and the Hawks had a runner on third.
The final Hawks batter popped up to second base and sophomore pitcher Alyssa Wilkinson got the out, ending the game with another Etown win.
The women defeated Morrisville State University later that day 15-0, with first-year Wendy Header leading the way with three hits and three runs. First-year Kaitlyn Witmer also had three hits and two RBIs. The Jays scored in every inning of the game, including nine runs in the third.
Etown split the last day of their spring break trip with one win and one loss. The Jays won their first game of the day against University of Massachusetts Boston 3-0 and Wilkinson struck out a career-high nine batters.
Etown lost their final game against University of Northwestern St. Paul 3-1, making them 8-2 to kick off their season at home at the Nest this past Wednesday, March 14 in a doubleheader against Lebanon Valley College.
This game was postponed due to impending cold and snow and will be played at a later time in the season.
The Jays will open Landmark Conference play this Saturday, March 17 with another doubleheader at home against Drew University at 1 and 3 p.m.
