MINNEOLA, Fla. – The Alverno softball team picked up its first victory of the 2020 campaign on Monday evening, knocking off the Potsdam Bears by the score of 4-1 at the Minneola Complex in central Florida. Earlier in the afternoon, the Inferno fell to the Juniata Eagles by an 8-1 margin.
 
The victory over the Bears came in dramatic fashion as the Inferno yielded an unearned second-inning run and trailed by the lone run heading into the seventh inning. During the top of the seventh, the Inferno rallied for four unanswered runs as the team collected five hits in the frame to put Alverno ahead.
 
Freshman Seneca Peterson was a force in the circle for the Inferno against the Bears as she struck out 13 batters over her seven-inning outing. Her 13 strikeouts in a single game was the most since the 2014 season, when Erin Dulek '15 accomplished the feat on March 5 against Cedar Crest. The program record for strikeouts in a game is 17 set back during the 2009 season.
 
During the win over Potsdam Alverno had 10 hits including multi-hit games by senior Kaitlynn Johnson, junior Lauren Greif as well as Peterson. The Inferno also got RBIs from Johnson, Peterson, and freshman Izzy Torres in the win. Freshmen Leah Gamboa and Zimri Lemonds both had their first career hits in the game as well.
 
Game 1 vs. Juniata
Alverno was held to just one hit in the opening matchup of the day on a base knock by senior Sara Redlin. The Inferno did draw seven walks in the game, led by Peterson with two on the afternoon. Torres, Lemonds, Redlin, along with freshmen Ashley Flores and Karly Amburgey-Hanson all had walks as well.
 
Greif was in the circle for the Inferno and threw 117 pitches including a 12-pitch battle in the first inning. The junior in her season-pitching debut struck out one batter without yielding a walk in the matchup. Sophomore Natalie Akin pitched the final inning and struck out a pair while allowing one hit in her outing.
 
After the Eagles scored two runs in the top half of the first inning, Flores walked to lead off the inning before Peterson followed with a walk. Two batters later Torres walked to load the bases before the second out was made. With freshman Chloe Cech batting, the Juniata pitcher threw a wild pitch pitch allowing Flores to score and trim the lead in half at 2-1.
 
The next three innings were scoreless for both sides before the Eagles scored six runs between the fifth and sixth innings to expand its lead to 8-1. The Inferno were only able to muster one hit in the second inning on a Redlin single.
 
Game 2 vs. Potsdam
In the night cap, the Inferno put it together and were able to couple a pitching effort and timely hitting to register its first win of the season.
 
Johnson got the game started with a bunt single, but the Bears were able to turn two and retire the side. Potsdam got a runner to third in the bottom of the first, but Peterson was able to get the last out of the inning to keep the game scoreless. Potsdam got a one-out walk in the second before a stolen base and two-base error allowed the Bears to take a 1-0 lead; despite Peterson striking out the side.
 
Peterson racked up two strikeouts in the third and three more in the fifth as the game remained scoreless.

The Inferno rallied in the top of the sixth as Peterson reached on a one-out single followed by a base hit by Gamboa before a wild pitch moved the pair into scoring position. Akin walked to load the abses but the Bears escaped damage by leaving the bases loaded.
 
After Peterson struck out two more batters in the bottom of the sixth, the Inferno came up to bat in the seventh. Lemonds doubled over the left fielder's head to kick off the inning before Redlin singled up the middle and took second on the throw home. Torres reached on a fielder's choice as freshman Megan Bradford, running for Lemonds, slid under the tag at the plate to tie the game.
 
Johnson squeezed in a run on a bunt single to put the Inferno ahead at 2-1 allowing Redlin to score. With runners on the corners, Johnson stole second allowing Amburgey-Hanson, running for Torres, to break for the plate, as the throw went home Johnson scampered all the way around to third. Peterson grounded out allowing Johnson to score the fourth run of the inning for the Inferno.
 
Peterson hit the first batter in the bottom of the seventh, before Potsdam collected a single to put two runners on. As Peterson got the first out of the inning via strikeout, the pair of runners stole second and third to put two runs in scoring position. Peterson got her 13th strikeout of the night for the second out before a lineout to right field sealed the victory for the Inferno.
 
Alverno (1-3) will be off on Tuesday, and get back to action on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. (CT) against D'Youville; before taking on Hood at 12:15 p.m. (CT) at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex in Leesburg, Fla.