Clermont, FL - The D'Youville Softball Team closed out their spring training stint in Florida Tuesday morning by winning their second game of the day and third in a row, defeating Carthage College by the final score of 5-4 in 8 innings.

Carthage got two hits to leadoff the game, but neither baserunners resulted in runs for the Reds. In bottom half of the first, Amanda Drake (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) was hit by a pitch. After Lauren DeVantier (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara-Wheatfield) doubled, moving Drake to third, MacKenzie Kehlenbeck (Oakfield, NY/Oakfield-Alabama) stepped into the box, singling to drive in Drake from third. The inning would end with D'Youville leading the Reds 1-0.

It wouldn't be long before the Reds put their first run on the board, adding 2 in the top of the first, taking a 2-1 lead. D'Youville would send three batters up and all three recorded outs, moving to the third.

The Reds would add 2 more runs to their lead in the third inning to go up by 3 runs. The Spartans would threaten in the bottom of the inning with Drake walking and then stealing second. A Kehlenbeck single advanced Drake to third, but both runners would be stranded on base without a run crossing the plate. 

After a scoreless top of the inning, D'Youville would strike in the bottom of the fourth. Lauren Gawlak (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) would reach on a fielder's choice. Once on first, Gawlak would steal second. The next batter, Ashley Colan (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island), would drive in Gawlak on a double, cutting the deficit to 2. Drake came up to bat and once again got on base, smashing a double and driving in Colan. DeVantier then singled to bring in Drake from second to tie the game at 4.

Both offenses would cool off, recording no hits in the fifth or sixth innings. In the top of the seventh, Carthage would lead off the inning with a double, with the runner eventually moving to third. The Spartans would eventually get out of the inning and score no runs in bottom half of the inning, taking the game to extras.

With the international extra innings rule, a runner automatically starts on second. Having a runner already in scoring position, the Reds couldn't move the runner over with all 3 batters who came up recording outs.

D'Youville started with Gawlak on second in the bottom of the eighth. Colan singled, advancing Gawlak to third. Lydia Monin (Buffalo, NY/Tapestry Charter School) stepped up to the plate, singling and driving in Gawlak to win the game in walk-off fashion by the final score of 5-4.

Kalie McHenry (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) picked up the win, pitching yet another complete game. Monin, Drake, DeVantier, Kehlenbeck and Colan all picked up RBIs in the game, with Monin's being the game winner. Gawlak accounted for the winning run and accounted another run as well. Drake scored 2 runs with Colan recording a run of her own. DeVantier, Kehlenbeck and Colan all had 2 hits to lead the offense.

The women will begin conference play as they travel back north to play Pitt.-Greensburg on Saturday, March 28th in Greensburg.