After wire-to-wire, back-to-back extra inning contests to open the 2020 campaign on Sunday, the John Carroll softball team defeated Saint Vincent College, 12-4, in five innings on Monday for the first win of the season at Legends Way Ballfields as part of the Spring Games Tournament. The Blue Streaks followed up their victory over the Bearcats with a second win on the day over Misericordia University, 6-5.
 
Freshman center fielder Gracie Bressoud lit up the stats as the leadoff hitter, going a perfect 4-for-4 which included a standup triple in game one. She also scored two runs and was responsible for four of JCU's six stolen bases in the game. She finished the day 5-for-7 at the plate and tallied five stolen bases.
 
Senior second baseman Alee Burke was 4-for-6 at the plate and recorded four RBI, while sophomore catcher Kasyn Scarantine finished 3-for-6 with three runs and two stolen bases.
 
Game One

The Bearcats were first to strike, bringing four runs home in the top of the third to take the 4-0 lead. With Bressoud due up in the lineup, the freshman rocketed a triple to the wall in centerfield to begin the home half. After a walk to sophomore right fielder Crista Nativio, sophomore left fielder Emma Gurley approached the plate and drove in both runners with a double. John Carroll brought two more home on a ground out and a wild pitch to knot the game at 4-4. 
 
Once again, Bressoud led off in the bottom of the fourth, this time hitting a single to right field. After stealing second and advancing to third on a passed ball, Bressoud came home on a Kristen Jesberger (sophomore catcher) single up the middle. Jesberger later scored on a wild pitch, while senior third baseman Elizabeth Fraas tallied the third run of the inning on a walk with the bases loaded.
 
With the 7-4 lead, JCU wasn't done scoring yet as Gurley launched the first home run of the season over the left field wall in the bottom of the fifth. She finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and the solo shot, tallying three RBI and two runs.
 
Jesberger kept the hitting going, following up with a base knock of her own which forced Saint Vincent to change pitchers.
 
With bases loaded on two outs, Burke capitalized and singled to left center, driving in two runs to make the score 10-4. With another bases loaded opportunity, freshman Maddie Traub was substituted in to pinch hit and completed the job with a walk off single up the middle to give the Blue Streaks the 12-4 win.
 
Senior pitcher Jenn Patterson threw a complete game, allowing no earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. The senior also entered the game on the offensive side, going 1-for-1.
 
Head Coach Nicole Loudin was proud of the resiliency her team showed in the game against Saint Vincent.

"The biggest thing is that we were able to settle down and let the ball come to us, after facing two great pitchers yesterday," said Loudin. "Our patience at the plate help us gain confidence and have a great showing."
 
Game Two

Playing as the visitors, the Blue Streaks put the bats to work right away and notched three runs in the opening inning. Misericordia threatened to score in the second and third innings, leaving two runners on base each time, but finally found its way home in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Cougars brought one in to cut the lead to 3-1 and forced John Carroll to make a pitching change. Freshman Katie Debord relieved junior Madison Eagle (3.1 ip, 4h, 1r, 1er) and helped the team record two straight outs.
 
JCU extended its lead even more in the top of the fifth as the inning opened up with a walk to Fraas. With two ducks on the pond, after a Scarantine single, Misericordia changed pitchers in hopes of keeping the Blue Streaks at bay. However, Burke hit a single up the middle to set up a bases loaded situation. A pair of walks gave John Carroll a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
 
Misericordia answered with a pair of runs to cut the deficit back to two. The Cougars' defense forced JCU to go three-and-out in the top of the sixth before their bats went to work to score another two runs to knot the game at 5-5.
 
Scarantine led off the top of the seventh with a double to right center and scored on a single by senior first baseman Caitlyn Fitzsimmons for the 6-5 lead. It proved to be all the Blue Streaks needed as the defense held the Cougars to one hit in the bottom of the seventh to claim the win.
 
Debord (3.2 ip, 6h, 4r, 4er, 2so) was credited with the win – the first of her collegiate career.
 
Coach Loudin explained the accountability the team is holding each other too and how that is translating to the team's comfortability with one another.

"We have been talking since last May about holding each other accountable. It's not just the student-athletes but it's on us [the coaches] too. It actually starts with us and it doesn't happen if we don't let one another help each other."
 
John Carroll returns to action tomorrow, taking on Roanoke College at 10 a.m. and then Wartburg College at 12:15 p.m.
 
Updates regarding JCU's spring break games can be found on The Spring Games app in addition to the Facebook fan group. Merchandise and tickets can also be preorder online at www.thespringgames.com.