The Middlebury softball team opened its spring break trip at THE Spring Games on Sunday in Clermont, Florida. The squad defeated Westminster (Mo.) 7-2 in the first game before besting Union 11-3 in five innings.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. WESTMINSTER

• Paige Cruzan got on base to begin the bottom of the first and advanced to third on a wild pitch and strikeout. Panther pitcher Emily Ye stayed the course, recording a strikeout and a flyout to center field to keep the Blue Jays off the board.
• Middlebury opened the scoring in the second inning. Jen Westphal, who poked a single through the left side, came around to score on a triple to left center by Olivia Fleming to make it 1-0. Fleming would dart home on the throw for the second run before Kristyn Carroll knocked in Uma Corcoran via an RBI single up the middle for a 3-0 score.
• In the bottom half, Carlie Regier drew a walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but Ye tallied consecutive swinging strikeouts and a flyout to left. She controlled the next three frames, retiring nine consecutive Blue Jays. 
• The Panthers added some insurance during the fifth, plating four to make the score 7-0. Five players recorded hits in the inning, including consecutive RBI doubles from Reagan Adiletta and Westphal.
• Westminster cut into the Middlebury lead in the sixth. The first three Blue Jays reached safely before Cruzan crossed home plate on a wild pitch. Amber Dierling knocked in Gabriella Pierre with a sacrifice fly to trim the lead to 7-2, but Emily Dowd forced a fielder's choice to third and a swinging strikeout to control the damage.
• The Blue Jays looked to knot the game in their final at-bats. Dowd had none of it, recording three consecutive punchouts to seal the five-run victory.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. UNION

• Union grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, as Coco Medeiros crossed the plate on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Sophia Gomes.
• The Panthers clawed back in the bottom half. Olivia Fleming pushed leadoff batter Sarah LaFond home on a double to left field to knot the contest. Fleming advanced to third on the throw and came across on a passed ball to make it 2-1.
• The Garnet Chargers retook a 3-2 advantage during the third stanza. Elizabeth Werner laced a two-bagger to center field that brought home Haley Gibbons and Ellie Wintringer. Union looked for more in the inning after reloading the bases with one out, but a heads-up double play at second base by Fleming kept it a one-run game. 
• Middlebury pounced on the momentum in the home half, pushing six runners across the plate to rebuild an 8-3 lead. Three batters tallied extra-base hits in the inning, headlined by a run-scoring double down the left field line from Westphal.
• Union hoped to manufacture some offense as Sophia Gomes opened the fourth frame with a single to left field. McKenna Lont, who relieved Mia Gilham in the top of the third, retired the next three batters to keep the Garnet Chargers off the board.
• The Panthers continued to produce, using a sacrifice fly from Adiletta and two Union miscues to stretch their lead to 11-3.
• The Garnet Chargers put some pressure on to begin the fifth with the first two batters reaching base safely. Lont stayed composed, using a fielder's choice to shortstop, a lineout to shortstop and a swinging strikeout to force the run rule victory.

NOTES

• Ye excelled in the circle during the opening contest, allowing just one batter to reach and striking out four Blue Jays over five innings for her initial victory of the campaign.
• Carroll went 4-for-5 against Westminster. The senior surpasses Megan Margel '11 for second on the all-time career hits list with 178.
• Fleming and LaFond combined for six of the Panthers' 11 runs scored against the Garnet Chargers.
• Westphal had a team-high three runs batted in over the two contests.
• Middlebury and Westminster met for the first time in the sport of softball.
• The Garnet Chargers and the Panthers had their 33rd all-time meeting. Union now holds a slim 17-16 advantage.

Middlebury returns to the diamond on Monday for another doubleheader in the Sunshine State. The Panthers meet Kalamazoo at 10:00 a.m. before battling #21 DePauw at 2:30 p.m.