CLERMONT, Fla. – The Alverno softball team dropped a pair of non-conference matchups on Friday morning at the Hancock Athletic Complex in central Florida. The Inferno fell to the Becker Hawks by a 5-0 score in the opener before dropping a 12-3 decision to the Lesley Lynx in the night cap.
 
The Inferno got a two-run home run off of the bat of sophomore Natalie Akin in the game versus Lesley, while Alverno also scored an unearned run on an error against the Lynx. Alverno picked up six hits against Lesley, while also collecting two hits in the opener against the Hawks of Becker.
 
Freshman Seneca Peterson started in the opener against Becker and struck out seven batters while she needed 76 pitches as she got 12 outs. Junior Kaitlynn Schmick tossed the final two innings and struck out one batter in the game. Later in the day, junior Lauren Greif recorded two strikeouts as she went the distance and needed 95 pitches to get through six innings.
 
Game 1 vs. Becker
The Inferno got a runner on first in the top half of the opening inning as Peterson reached on an error, but Alverno was unable to score in the opening two innings.
 
Becker threatened in the bottom of the second but Peterson stranded a pair on base as the game went to the third scoreless. The Hawks scored three unanswered runs on three-straight batters in the bottom of the third to open a 3-0 advantage. Becker scored two more in the bottom of the fifth as Schmick took over in the circle for the Inferno.
 
Alverno stranded one on base in the top of the sixth, before going down in order in the top of the seventh as the Hawks came up with the 5-0 victory.
 
Game 2 vs. Lesley
It did not take long for the Lynx to get on the board in the top of the first as the Inferno served as the home team. Lesley doubled to open the game before the next pitch was sent over the fence in centerfield to put Lesley ahead, 2-0. The Lynx added a third run on a sacrifice fly in the second inning before adding three runs in the top of the third to open a six-run advantage.
 
In the bottom of the third, freshman Chloe Cech reached on a two-out single, while senior Kaitlynn Johnson reached on a two-base error; however, the Inferno were unable to break through on the scoreboard.
 
After Lesley scored three more runs in the top of the fourth to take a nine-run lead, the Inferno kicked off the bottom of the fourth with a single up the middle off the bat of Peterson. Up next was Akin, who launched a 1-0 pitch over the left centerfield fence to put Alverno on the board with a two-run blast. The next two batters were retired before freshman Zimri Lemonds singled and classmate Ashley Flores walked, but the Inferno were unable to add additional runs.
 
The fifth inning was scoreless, but Lesley tacked on more runs in the top of the sixth with three runs on five hits to take a 12-2 lead.
 
Akin led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, followed by a base knock by Schmick to put the first two runners on. Up next was Greif, who reached on a throwing error by the Lesley pitcher allowing Akin to score as the ball made its way down the first base line. The next three Inferno batters struck out swinging as the Lynx pulled away with the victory.