TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Another day, another weather-related pause/suspension for Macomb Softball on Friday (March 11) in Titusville, Fla. In what was supposed to be a 12-game trip over the course of six days, the Monarchs have now only completed four games with one day left to compete in Florida thanks to an onslaught of inclement weather throughout their stay.
On Friday, the Monarchs were slated to play two against the Tritons of Iowa Central and were hopeful to pick up at least one additional game. Unfortunately for the Monarchs, only one game was completed, and the Blue & White were dealt their first loss of the season after dropping a 5-3 decision to the Tritons.
GAME ONE: Iowa Central 5, Macomb 3
The Monarchs (3-1) trailed after one inning and never took the lead in a hard-fought 5-3 loss in game one of Friday's scheduled doubleheader with the Tritons. Freshman pitcher Carly Sierzenga (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) went the distance striking out 12 and got out of a few jams throughout the contest. Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, Natalie Lerchenfeld (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) got her second RBI of the game by drawing a bases loaded walk to cut the Monarchs deficit in half at 3-2. Lerchenfeld drove in the Monarchs first run of the game on a fielder's choice in the third inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jenna Casey (New Baltimore, Mich./Anchor Bay) shifted momentum to the Monarchs with one swing of the bat when she tied the game at 3-3 with a solo home run over the right field wall. The opposite field shot marked Casey's first home run of the season and the sixth long ball of her collegiate career.
The newfound momentum wouldn't last long as the Tritons scored two in the top half of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. The Monarchs were able to bring the game-tying run into scoring position and had the game-winning run on first but couldn't bring the runners around to score in the two-run setback.
Casey went 2-of-4 with a home run and Lerchenfeld went 1-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Monarchs offensively. With 12 more strikeouts in Friday's opener, Sierzenga brought her season total to 37 K's through 19 innings pitched for a 13.63 K/7 ratio.
GAME TWO: Iowa Central 10, Macomb 1
The Monarchs second game with the Tritons was suspended Friday and later finished early Saturday with the Tritons winning, 10-1. Kennedi Sobol (Marine City, Mich./Marine City) drove the Monarchs' lone run in on a RBI double to lead four other Monarchs who recorded a hit in the contest (Jenna Alessandrini, Emma Lautenbach, Skye Norris and Rylee Thomas).
