CLERMONT, Fla. – The Macalester College softball team lost a pitcher's duel to the University of Chicago, 2-1 in the morning before bouncing back to beat Blackburn College, 12-4 at THE Spring Games Thursday at Hancock Park Ballfields. The results give the Scots a 10-4 record on the season and a 6-2 mark in Florida with two games remaining.

In the first game against UChicago, Macalester jumped out to an early 1-0 on a solo home run by senior Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) in the top of the first inning. The bomb to left was Futchko's first of the season and third of her career. Both pitchers settled in after that, with sophomore Rileigh Morlock (Lincoln, Ill./Normal Community West) holding the Maroons to two hits through six innings and UChicago's Paige Heffke limiting the Scots to two hits after Futchko's blast. In the bottom of the seventh, the Maroons loaded the bases with nobody out on two singles and a walk. Morlock induced a grounder that the Scots turned into a force out at home. The next batter grounded to second base, but Ashlee Boodoo beat the throw home to tie the score. On the same play, Laila Sims advanced to third and stole home for the game-winning run.

Morlock gave up four hits and two runs while walking two and striking out four in 6 1/3 innings. Sophomore Martha Miller (Medford, Wis./Medford) and first year Safiya Butler (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield School) had the other hits for Macalester.

The bats came alive for the Scots in the second game, with 12 runs on 11 hits. After allowing a run in the top of the first, the Scots scored twice in the bottom of the first on a grounder by sophomore Elizabeth Welch (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) that plated senior Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and a bases-loaded walk by Miller. Blackburn scored a run in the second to tie the score before Macalester pushed four runs across in the bottom of the inning. Futchko doubled home Nicholson and first year Allison Dvorak (Poulsbo, Wash./North Kitsap), and sophomore Rebecca Heinze (Rosemount, Minn./Prescott) hit a two-run single to plate Welch and Futchko.

Blackburn continued to respond, as Kenadee Frey hit a two-run homer in the top of the third to make the score 6-4 Scots. But again Macalester continued to put runners on base and produce runs. With two out in the bottom of the third, Welch singled to score sophomore Monica Montoya (Blue Island, Ill./Dwight D. Eisenhower). Then sophomore Tess Bojorquez (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) roped a double to right centerfield to bring home Welch and Nicholson for a 9-4 lead. Butler led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, then came home on a double by first year Ally Wolf (Valencia, Calif./Valencia). Later in the inning, Futchko blasted a triple to left center to plate Wolf and Dvorak for a 12-4 advantage. First year pitcher Paige Schultz (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) closed out the game with three fly balls to the outfield sandwiched around a single in the top of the fifth inning.

Bojorquez pitched two perfect innings of relief to earn the victory and improve to 3-1. Futchko went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the win and 3-for-5 with a double, triple and home run on the day for a slugging percentage of 1.800. Nicholson and Bojorquez each went 2-for-2 at the plate against Blackburn, with Nicholson scoring three runs.

Macalester ends its Spring Break trip on Friday, Mar. 21 with games against Lawrence at 2:00 p.m. Eastern and Simpson at 4:15 p.m. Eastern at Hancock Park Ballfields.