MCLA earns spilt on last day in Fort Myers

Cape Coral, FL- In an exciting day for the Trailblazers they seemed to save their best performance for last. The Trailblazers won their first game by a wide margin of 9-1 and then dropped their second game 5-4 in a nine inning pitcher's duel.  

On a decision by a coin flip the Trailblazers were the visiting team and they wasted no time putting runs on the scoreboard off losing pitcher Shannon Heits. The Trailblazers scored six runs on four hits and five walks and batted through the whole order.

Pitcher Amanda Meczywor seemed almost perfect in her second win of the year and first of the Florida trip, facing 24 batters, three over the limit and allowing Bethany Lutheran to score one run. Meczywor gave up five hits while striking out five and walking two.

Offensively for the Trailblazers Tanelle Ciempa went 3-4 with a double, two singles and two RBI's while fellow freshman Michaela DiNicola went 2-3. Kendra Hobbs homered to right field for her second of the year.

Ainsley MacDonald held her own on the pitcher's mound in game two. After giving up a leadoff walk she stranded runners on second and third.

Two walks and two errors put Albright up 1-0 in the third inning, but not before MacDonald took control of the game and MCLA put some runners on base in the fourth inning. MCLA loaded the bases off three back to back singles by Meczywor, Angelica Perfido, and Sam Barbarotta, before Abby Lucas stepped to the plate and ripped a single to score Meczywor. The Trailblazers had a chance to threaten again but a pop up to short, a strike out and Perfido getting picked off third ended the inning.

The game stayed tied 1-1 after a complete seven innings, and the international tie-breaker rule came into effect, where each team placed a runner on second base. Neither team could get the runner across in the seventh inning and the runner was again placed at second base in the eighth.

Hillary Rodriquez was sacrified over to third by Natalie Carlucci, Shelby Snyder reached on a fielder's choice. On the next play Snyder stole second base and the fielders were caught off guard and Rodriquez stole home to put Albright up 2-1. MCLA now had to play catch up as they couldn't get out of the inning before giving up another run, trailing 3-1.

With Hobbs placed on second and a Meczywor walk, MCLA had first and second with no outs. Perfido scarified herself but collided with the second baseman and Hobbs scored while Meczywor went to third. Barbarotta grounded out to short scoring Meczywor. With two outs Lucas singled before Megan Boyer doubled, but MCLA couldn't push across that go ahead run.

In the ninth inning tied at 3, Albright took advantage of MCLA errors and smart base running to score two more runs. The Trailblazers being home team had one more shot but could only push across one run to end the game.

Barbarotta went 2-3 while Lucas was 2-4.

MCLA ends their Spring Break trip in Fort Myers 2-8 but overall are 4-8. They will head back north and play a doubleheader at Sage College Wednesday March 27 at 3:00.