Behind a solid pitching performance from Elizabeth Morris and Neve Stearns in game one, the Middlebury softball team earned a split Thursday during its annual spring break trip to Clermont, Florida. The duo pitched the Panthers to a 4-0 win over Colby in game one, but Middlebury dropped the second game by an 8-1 score to seventh-ranked Luther.

Middlebury moves to 6-4 overall, and will complete its Florida schedule with a pair of games Friday against Chicago and Lawrence.

In the first game against Colby (3-5), Morris improved to 3-0 not allowing a hit in her four innings of work striking out six. Stearns worked the final three allowing just two hits and punching out a quartet of Mules for her second save of the spring.

The Panthers struck for one in the first via an RBI single off the bat of Sarah Freyre. Two innings later in the third, Carlyn Vachow made the score 2-0 when she stole home as part of a double steal. In the fifth, Vachow added some insurance when she laced a two-run single up the middle.

At the plate, Christina Bicks led Middlebury with a 2-4 performance with two runs scored.

In the day's second game against Luther, the Norse scored all eight runs in the first three innings. The Panthers mustered their lone run in the bottom of the second when Hye-Jin Kim ripped a double and came around to score on an RBI single from Alex Scibetta.

Scibetta was 2-3 at the plate as Middlebury was limited to just four hits. Stearns (0-2) suffered the loss throwing 1.2 innings allowing seven runs, six earned, on six base hits. Kat Maehr pitched the final 5.1 innings for the Panthers striking out three.