KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Alverno College softball team wrapped up its trip to THE Spring Games on Thursday, dropping two closely contested games with Keuka College and the University of Maine-Farmington. Keuka narrowly won the first game 3-2, before Maine-Farmington staved off a late Inferno push to win 9-7.

Sophomores Nadya Hudson (Milwaukee, Wis./Wauwatosa East) and Gianna Medrano (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) led the offensive effort for Alverno, with Hudson going a combined 5-7 with three doubles, two runs scored, and two runs batted in over two games. Medrano was 4-4 in game two, scoring two runs, while also recording a hit, an RBI, and a walk in game one.

With the losses, Alverno moves to 0-10 and will next return home to Wisconsin, when they open Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action against Marian on Saturday. Keuka improved to 2-4 with the win, and Maine-Farmington moved to 2-5.
 
Game One: Keuka 3, Alverno 2
Despite a strong pitching outing from sophomore Bailey Gardner (Eagle Lake First Nation, Ontario/University of Winnipeg Collegiate), the Keuka College Wolves used a sixth-inning, two-run homer to win 3-2 over the Inferno.

Gardner went all six innings for Alverno, allowing just two earned runs while striking out a career-high four batters. Hudson was 2-4, while Medrano drove in a run and reached base twice.

After a scoreless first three innings, the Inferno broke through in the top of the fourth. Senior Giselle Moreno (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech) sparked the inning with a single, before Hudson followed with a base hit to left. After a fielder's choice put runners on first and third, the Inferno executed a perfect double steal, as Emily Anguiano (South El Monte, Calif./San Gabriel Mission) stole second and Moreno stole home.

Keuka answered in the fifth, capitalizing on an Alverno error to even the score at 1-1.

The game remained deadlocked until the sixth inning when Keuka used a two-run home run to take a 3-1 advantage off the bat of Olivia Frank.

Alverno refused to go quietly in the seventh. Hailie Eschbach (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) drew a leadoff walk, and Alyssa Hubli (Kenosha, Wis./St. Joseph Catholic Academy) followed with a single to center to put two runners on. After Bailey Gardner laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over, Medrano delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to one and bring the tying run to third. However, Keuka was able to record the final two outs and escape with the 3-2 win.

 Haley Mascho earned the win in the circle for the Wolves, with two scoreless innings, and Julia Spencer picked up the save. Olivia Flynn had two hits, scoring a run, while Frank had another hit to go along with her two-run homer.

Game Two: Maine-Farmington 9, Alverno 7
The second game of the day featured an offensive battle as the Inferno rallied late to make a close game against the University of Maine-Farmington. Trailing 9-2 in the fifth, the Inferno added five runs over the last three innings, bringing the tying run to the plate in the seventh before the Beavers secured the win.

Hudson and Medrano had fantastic days to power the offense, with Medrano finishing a perfect 4-4 with two runs scored and a double, while Hudson was 3-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two runs batted in, while also adding a walk. Sophomore Riley Krider (Cromwell, Ind./West Noble) had her second straight scoreless outing coming out of the bullpen, going 3.1 innings while striking out three.

The Beavers struck first for three runs in the top of the second, but Alverno responded with a run in the bottom of the inning when freshman Mac Gardner (Eagle Lake First Nation, Ontario/College Churchill) drove home Hudson after her first double of the game.

After a run in the top half of the third, Hudson doubled home Anguiano with a deep shot to right field, putting the Inferno down two.

A three-run triple, a wild pitch, and an error in the fourth allowed five runs to score for Maine-Farmington as they took a commanding 9-2 lead.

The Inferno responded strongly, rallying once again, as Hudson started the rally with an RBI double at the top of the fifth to score Medrano. Moreno followed with an RBI groundout, and senior Kate Peabody (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) drove in another run with an infield single.

As Krider stacked the scoreless innings, Alverno had a chance to rally for extras or the win in the seventh. Medrano led off the frame with a double, and after an error and a walk, the tying run came to the plate for Alverno. Moreno and Peabody each drove in runs with RBI groundouts, but the Beavers finished the game stranding a runner on third and not allowing the tying run to reach base with a groundout ending the contest.

Bella Miller drove in three runs with two hits for Maine-Farmington, while Lisa Truchin earned her first win of the season with five innings of work.