LAKE WALES, Fla. – In their second of three doubleheaders this week, Warner University softball team lost to Grand View University in a pair of 3-2 ball games. The Lady Royals are now 2-6-1 in the 2015 season with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 14, remaining on this week's schedule. The Vikings improve to 6-1 with the sweep.
Game one was a pitcher's duel between Warner's
Chelsie Valentine and Grand View's Claudia Farrell. Both pitchers were impressive early on but Valentine had the edge with a one-hitter through the first six innings and a 2-1 lead.
Kaitlyn Ficarrotta doubled home Warner's runs with a fifth inning double.
A leadoff walk to start the top of the seventh inning led to a game-tying run for the Vikings sending the game into extra innings. Neither team could scratch out a run in the eighth or ninth innings forcing a Texas-tiebreaker scenario in the tenth inning. The Vikings made the most of their opportunity scoring the go ahead run. The Lady Royals had Ficarrotta on third with two outs in their half of the tenth but could not bring her home.
Valentine (2-2) pitched a gem of a game going all 10 innings with only three hits allowed and five strikeouts.
Melissa Costero had two of Warner's six hits in the game going 2-for-5.
The Lady Royals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in game two with two runs in the first inning.
Brittany Winget and
Shannon Cataldo had RBI at-bats for the Lady Royals.
Following their first inning runs, the Lady Royals were shut out the rest of way and held to five hits in the final six innings by Grand View's Jessica Stickel.
The Vikings scored a run in the third inning to cut the Lady Royals' lead in half 2-1. Then in the fifth inning they chased Warner starter
Erika Shick from the game scoring two more runs to take a 3-2 lead. It was all the offense they would need completed the doubleheader sweep 3-2.
Shick (0-4) took the loss in the circle with 4.1 innings pitched and three runs allowed. Winget came on in relief of Shick in the fifth inning and tossed the final 2.2 innings of the game. She did not allow a hit and struck out three batters.
Jelisa Potter, who opened the game with a triple to left field, finished 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Nicole Comstock went 2-for-4 as well.
On Saturday, March 14, the Lady Royals welcome Castelton College (Vt.) to Daly Field for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
