Marist Box Score
Texas Box Score

HONOLULU, HI— The Winthrop softball team suffered a 3-2 extra inning loss to Marist and a 9-2 loss to sixth-ranked Texas, Friday evening at the Chevron Spring Fling Invitational.

The Eagles fall to 11-14 on the year after having lost four straight. Marist improved to 7-13 while Texas is now 23-2.

"We played very well today," said head coach Mark Cooke. "Marist lost just 1-0 to top-ranked Cal prior to our game and we lost in extra innings to them. Th game versus texas was decided by big home run. Chelsey (Schoenfeldt) and (Natalie) Becker were terific on the mound and I felt both games were quality against great teams."

The Longhorns Taylor Hoagland brought her power game to the field on Friday as she provided two home runs. The first was a solo shot in the top of the third inning and after Winthrop made it a 3-1 game in the bottom of the third, she hit a two-run shot in the top of the fourth to help Texas take a 6-1 lead after three and a half innings.

Trailing 3-0, Winthrop got on the board in the third with an RBI double off the bat of Chelsey Schoenfeldt. Kathryn Eberlin singled to center with two outs and Schoenfeldt followed with the double to left for her 19^th RBI on the season. That hit extended her current hitting streak to three games.

The Eagles other run came in the bottom of the sixth when Kristy Noble hit into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded that left everyone safe as Kelsey Ritter, who pinch-ran for Kelly Blea, scored. Rachel Fox was able to get McKenzi Corn and Megan Chapman to strikeout to end the threat.

Schoenfeldt started the game and suffered the loss as she falls to 5-7 on the year after allowing seven runs on 10 hits with a walk and a strikeout in 4.1 innings of work.

"We left too many baserunners today," said Cooke. "Texas had great execution with timely hits but we were still attacking late in the game and I'm proud of our competetive spirit today."

Winthrop dropped its first game of the day in extra innings to Marist, despite a complete-game performance by sophomore Natalie Becker. The lefty tossed seven and two-third innings allowing two earned runs on seven hits with seven walks and 10 strikeouts as she falls to 5-6 on the year. It was the second time in her career she had struck out 10 or more batters.

Becker entered the contest having not allowed a run in her last 20 innings in games started and extended that to 25.2 innings before Marist struck with the bases loaded on a two-out single to center. Things started for the Red Foxes as Becker issued back-to-back walks with one out. A single to center by Nicole DiVirgilio loaded the bases before Becker struck out Christina Lausch to keep Marist off the scoreboard. However, Marist's Danielle Koltz came through with a base hit to center to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth.

Winthrop held a 1-0 lead early on a Kelly Blea single to center that scored Schoenfeldt after she reached on a one-out single.

Winthrop took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh on a Schoenfeldt single up the middle, scoring Chapman. Teja Durante led off the inning with single and moved to second when Chapman reached on an error. Corn moved the runners over on a ground out to the pitcher, bringing up Kathryn Eberlin. But Eberlin didn't get the run across as she grounded back to the pitcher, who came home to get the force out and keep the game tied. That brought up Schoenfeldt, who delivered with the two-out hit for her 18^th RBI on the season.

Marist came right back in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings on another two-out hit. This time it was Sarah Carmody with an RBI single to center, scoring Nicole Van Loan from second.

In extra innings, Winthrop successfully sacrificed its runner placed on second to start the eighth over to third, but failed to drive in the run. Kristy Noble grounded out to first and Durante flied out to left.

Marist scored the winning on a fielding error by Chapman, which allowed Haley Birnbaum to come around and score to end the game.
Janine Lalli also tossed a complete game for Marist, allowing the two runs on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout as she improved to 3-1 on the year.

White and Schoenfeldt each finished with two hits against Marist, as Winthrop left 11 runners stranded.  

Winthrop's competition in the Hawaiian Islands will come to an end on Saturday with a game at 7:30 p.m. against top-ranked California before ending the tournament against the host, Hawai'i at 10 p.m. (EST).