ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team played their first two games in the ACM Tournament today. The Scots started the day with a win over Knox College, 11-2, and then ended the day with a 8-3 to the University of Northwestern- Minn.
The Scots took a 5-0 lead over the Prairie Fire in the first inning. Junior Julia Carpenter (Stevensville, Mich./Lakeshore) singled to first with a bunt and then stole both second and third base. Sophomore
Kennedy Kechely (Rochester, Minn./Mayo) bunted and advanced to second.
Carpenter was then singled home by junior Kaela Jackson (Seattle, Wash./James A. Garfield). Senior
Claire O'Connor (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) singled home Kechely. Sophomore
Kate Lawhead (Battle Ground, Wash./Prairie) then doubled to send Jackson and Kechely to home.
In the second, the Scots upped their score to 9-0. Carpenter bunted again to first and then continued to steal second base. After advancing from a single by Kechely, Carpenter was sent home by a double from Jackson. O'Connor then singled Jackson home to make it 8-0. Lawhead advanced to first on a fielder's choice and then ran to third from a single by first year Emily Bergin (Houston, Texas/St. Thomas Episcopal School). Lawhead was then sent home by a double from sophomore
Molly Hurley (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater).
In the third, Kechely hit a single to send Carpenter home for her third run. Knox responded with two runs but the Scots closed out the game as Bergin hit a triple and then advanced as first year Mackenzie Clarke (Redwood City, Calif./Sequoia) reached on a fielder's choice. The Scots won 11-2. Senior pitcher
Sophie Migacz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry West) earned the win, pitching three and allowing just one hit and two runs.
Against the University of Northwestern, the Scots took a 1-0 lead. After reaching second by a single and then a steal, Jackson was singled home by O'Connor. Up 1-0, the Scots doubled their lead with a run as Kechely doubled Carpenter home. Northwestern then scored five runs. The Scots answered with one run in the sixth, but the Eagles scored three more runs and won 8-3. Sophomore Audrey Meade (Cedar Hills, Utah/Pleasant Grove) pitched just over three innings with one shutout and allowing four hits and three runs.
Carpenter went 3-for-eight at the plate to score four runs and steal four bases.
The Scots continue to compete at the ACM Tournament, held at the Rochester Dome tomorrow, Mar. 3, against Ripon College and Luther College.
