Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CLERMONT, Fla.- The Immaculata softball team got their 2015 season underway down in Clermont, Florida and they dropped both games, first to Wesleyan by a score of 8-0 in five innings, and then the Mighty Macs bounced back to battle Saint Vincent College, but they fell 8-7 in eight innings.  IU will play four more games while down in Florida for their spring break trip.
 
In the opener, the Macs struggled to get anything going offensively and fell 8-0.  Freshman Caitlin Braiser went three innings surrendering three runs and sophomore Meghan Kugler gave up five runs in one inning of work.  Junior Melissa Ejk had the only hit of the day for IU with a first inning double and freshman left fielder Kelsey Collevechio walked in both of her plate appearances.
 
IU started the game with a one-out double from Ejk, but they were unable to advance her further.  Wesleyan took advantage quickly and got three runs in the bottom of the first.  Collevechio worked a lead-off walk in the second, but Wesleyan struck out the side, and Collevechio would walk again in the top of the fourth, but that would be the only other base runner for IU.
 
Brasier would hold Wesleyan scoreless for the next two innings before giving way to Kugler in the fourth, when Wesleyan broke the game open with five runs to end the game early at 8-0.
 
For the second straight year, the Mighty Macs fell to Saint Vincent College in extra innings in the second game, this time by a score of 8-7.  Kugler went four innings, giving up four runs, and Brasier (0-1) went four as well, surrendering four runs.  Offensively, the Mighty Macs broke out with 12 hits, led by freshman shortstop Annemarie Bartow with two hits, including her first career home run, and three RBIs.  Freshman Tabitha Mulholland also had a big day with three hits and two RBIs.
 
The Mighty Macs got the offense rolling in the first as senior Christiana Donofry (1-for-4, 2 R, BB) singled, moved to second on a single by Ejk (1-for-4, R, BB), and came around to score on an error for a 1-0 IU lead after one inning.
 
Saint Vincent responded with two runs in the second and they led 2-1 after two innings.  They pushed their lead to 3-1 after the top of the third, but the Macs broke out in the third inning, batting around and scoring five runs on four hits.
 
Donofry and Ejk started the inning with walks before Bartow stepped to the plate and delivered the first Mighty Mac home run of the season to put them in front, 4-3. Junior Caitlyn Hudock (1-for-5, R) restarted the rally with a single, before a walk from Colevecchio (1-for-4, R, BB) and single by Kugler to load the bases with nobody out.  After a strikeout, Mulholland delivered a two-run double that pushed the Mighty Mac lead to 6-3.
 
Saint Vincent would get one back in the fourth, but Kugler stranded the bases loaded as the game went to the fifth with IU holding a 6-4 lead.
 
The lead did not last long, however, as Saint Vincent greeted Brasier by scoring two runs off of her immediately on a two-run double to tie the score 6-6.  IU showed some resiliency of their own by scoring in the fifth to retake the lead.  Freshman Lauren Penn singled with one out, followed by another single by Mulholland.  With runners on first and second and two outs, Donofry reached on an error that scored Penn to put the Macs up 7-6.
 
Saint Vincent would tie the game up in the top of the sixth on a home run as it was now tied for the third time.
 
Brasier would keep Saint Vincent scoreless in the top of the seventh to give IU a chance to win it in the bottom of the frame.  Mulholland got her third and final hit of the day before a single from senior Brittany Merkle to put runners on first and second with one out.  After a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs, Ejk grounded out to send the game to extras.
 
Playing international rules where a runner is placed on second to start the inning, Saint Vincent scored one in their half to take an 8-7 lead.  In their final at bat, IU had runners on the corners with two outs, but Brasier grounded out just in front of the plate to end the game.
 
The Macs will have a quick turnaround as they play Ohio Northern at 1 p.m. followed by SUNY-Potsdam at 3 p.m.