LEESBURG, Fla. – The Macalester College softball team pitched a pair of shutouts to defeat Hamilton College, 5-0 and Earlham College, 6-0 on Thursday at THE Spring Games in Florida. First year Tess Bojorquez (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) tossed a three-hitter against Hamilton and first year Rileigh Morlock (Lincoln, Ill./Normal Community West) pitched a six-hit shutout versus Earlham. The Scots are now 6-2 on their Spring Break trip to Florida to improve to 10-4 on the season.

In the day's first game, Macalester broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning against Hamilton (4-4). With junior Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) on first and senior Elsa Church (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) on second, senior Mandy Morrical (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) singled to right field. Church came home on an error on the play, and Nicholson came home on a double-steal play with Morrical for a 2-0 lead. In the top of the fourth, Church singled home first year Alli Johnson (Waukee, Iowa/Northwest), who led off with a double, to make the score 3-0. Then in the fifth, first year Elizabeth Welch (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) plated junior Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) with a double for a 4-0 advantage. The Scots closed out the scoring in the top of the seventh, when first year Callia Holland (Akron, Ohio/Hawken) singled to score Morrical.

Bojorquez did the rest, scattering three hits while striking out five and walking none in seven innings of work for the shutout. Only one Hamilton runner reached second base all game. Nicholson led the offense with two hits.

Against Earlham (2-6), Macalester produced all of the offense they would need in the first inning. Welch plated Futchko with a single, then Morrical brought in Johnson from third with a squeeze bunt for a 2-0 lead. Church scored on an error in the second, then the Scots scored twice in the third to make the score 5-0. Senior Emily Pedersen (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) singled home sophomore Fiona Candland (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) and Morrical scored on a double by Holland. Nicholson tallied the final run of the day, coming home from third on an error in the bottom of the fourth.

Morlock also went the distance, blanking Earlham on six hits while registering nine strikeouts without a walk in seven innings. Welch notched a pair of hits in the victory.

Macalester ends its Spring Break trip on Friday, Mar. 15 with games against Lawrence at 8:00 a.m. Central and Utica at 12:30 p.m. Central.