Space Coast Spring Games Monday Recap: Blowout, Rally and a Gutsy Hold
Big Things Happening at Space Coast Spring Games
Monday at the Space Coast Spring Games delivered a little bit of everything at the Space Coast Complex. A historic offensive outburst, a gutsy comeback and a wire-to-wire hold highlighted the action across three games in Brevard County.
Here is a look at some of the day’s results.
Trinity Christian College 30, Fisher College 1 (5 innings)
Trinity Christian College wasted no time setting the tone, erupting for eight runs in the top of the first inning and never looking back in a 30-1 dismantling of Fisher College.
The Trolls sent 13 batters to the plate in the opening frame. Hallie LaGrange got things started by scoring after Lauryn Packard reached on a fielding error. Peyton Lowden followed with a two-RBI double down the left-field line that scored Anna Lisa Fluder and Packard to make it 3-0.
Caitlin Hernandez singled home Lowden, and runs continued to come in via a wild pitch, an RBI single from Jessica Pleckham, a passed ball, and another wild pitch to blow the door wide open at 8-0 before Fisher even had a chance to respond.
Fisher scratched across its lone run in the bottom of the first, but the Trolls were just getting started. TCC added three more in the second and nine in the third to push the lead to 20-1. Jenna Hughes highlighted the third-inning surge with a two-run single to right-center field, and Madison Seymour capped the frame with an RBI double.
The onslaught continued in the fourth with three more runs, including a bases-loaded RBI single from Ava Valk and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Evans. Then came the fifth, where the Trolls put the finishing touches on a dominant afternoon.
Kaufman drew a bases-loaded walk to get things going before Valk added an infield single and Evans drove in a run with a single to right field. Alana Harlow saved the exclamation point for last, launching a grand slam to center field that scored Evans, Valk, and Kaufman to cap the 30-1 final.
Valk finished the day with three RBIs on three run-scoring singles across the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Hernandez drove in multiple runs across the first two frames, and Harlow was a force all afternoon with a double, an RBI groundout, and the grand slam to close it out.
Zoey Fleischauer picked up the win in the circle after tossing two innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out two. Oceana Reiser was sharp in relief, throwing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts and just one hit allowed.
University of Indianapolis 6, Gannon University 4
In a much tighter contest, the University of Indianapolis jumped ahead early and held off a Gannon rally to come away with a 6-4 win at the Space Coast Spring Games.
The Greyhounds came out aggressive with three runs in the first inning and tacked on another in the second to build a 4-0 cushion. The Golden Knights got on the board in the second when Bella Atherton lifted a sacrifice fly to score Josie Spano, but the Greyhounds still looked firmly in control.
That changed in the fourth inning. Gannon put together its best at-bats of the game as Spano led off with a single and Atherton followed with a base hit to put runners on. A passed ball brought home a run, and Emily Spears delivered an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4. Just like that, the early cushion was gone.
Indianapolis showed some composure down the stretch, though. The Greyhounds pushed across a go-ahead run in the fifth and added an insurance run in the sixth to create some separation. Gannon made one last push in the seventh when Jenna Clontz singled to put the tying run on base, but Indianapolis turned a double play to slam the door and end the threat.
Madonna University 7, Dordt University 3
Madonna University put together one of the more impressive wins of the day, coming from behind to knock off receiving-votes Dordt 7-3 behind a balanced offensive attack and strong work in the circle.
The Defenders looked like they were going to run away with it early. A two-run home run in the second inning and another run in the third gave Dordt a 3-0 lead, and the Crusaders needed an answer in a hurry.
They found one in the bottom of the third. Faith Peschke and Regan Finkbeiner both reached to get the rally started before Brynn Anteau and Rylee Fitzpatrick delivered back-to-back RBI singles to cut the deficit to one. The momentum had officially shifted.
Madonna took control for good in the fourth. Peschke led off with a triple, and Ashley Rosiewicz crushed a two-run single up the middle to give the Crusaders their first lead of the game. Faith Cramton added an RBI groundout to push the advantage to 5-3, and the Defenders never recovered.
The Crusaders tacked on two more in the sixth when Fitzpatrick and Ella Thomas each drove in a run with singles to create a comfortable 7-3 cushion heading into the final frame.
Camille Oyer earned the win in the circle, striking out nine batters in 4.2 innings of work. Avrey Wolverton slammed the door in relief with two scoreless innings and three punchouts to pick up the save.
Rosiewicz paced the Madonna offense with two hits, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Fitzpatrick chipped in two hits and two RBIs, while Anteau and Peschke each added two-hit days as the Crusaders pounded out 11 hits on the afternoon.
