FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Alverno College softball team yielded a split decision this afternoon to open the 2024 Gene Cusic Classic against St. Thomas University. The Inferno moves to 1-1 on the young season.

Alverno got on the board first adding a run in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead. The inferno plated another run in the top of the fourth inning before St. Thomas added two runs to tie the game at 2-even. Both teams remained scoreless in the fifth inning before Alverno added five runs in the sixth highlighted by a triple from senior Lexi Hess and a double from Sam Viniti. The Bobcats then added one more run in the sixth but the Inferno opened up the flood gates with two runs on two hits that featured a double and a single for the win.

Sam Vinti went 2-for-4 from the plate and tallied two RBI. Emily Anguiano went 3-for-3 at the plate. While Lexi Hess and Jaycee Reyes were 2-for-three. Savannah Fierke earned the win, improving to 1-0 overall. She threw all seven innings, striking out eight and allowing five hits. Alverno finished the contest with 13 hits, five doubles and one triple.

In game two, the Inferno took an early 1-0 lead until the Bobcats plated two runs in the second and third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Both teams would fight for the lead but remained scoreless over the next three innings.  St. Thomas then added five runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 7-1 lead. The Alverno bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning squeezing out four runs that featured doubles from Giselle Moreno, Emily Anguiano and Jaylynne Ramsey and a single from Laura Heim but fell short yielded a 7-5 decision in favor of the Bobcats.

Six Inferno registered a hit in game two while Moreno finished with two RBI.

Alverno College will return to action on Thursday, February 29 against Ave Maria University. Game times are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. from the Ave Maria Softball Field.