CLERMONT, Fla. – The Macalester College softball team was able to complete one of its two scheduled games on Monday and beat the University of Chicago, 8-7 at Legends Way Ballfields. The game was interrupted by rain and lightning for about two hours before finishing the final inning-and-a-half. The win improves the Scots to 4-4 on the season and 2-0 in Florida, while the Maroons drop to 3-3.

Monday's other game against Worcester State was initially moved from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., as the fields were recovering from last night's storm, but today's storm postponed that game to Wednesday, March 18 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern at Hancock Park.

In the top of the first inning, junior outfielder Callia Holland (Akron, Ohio/Hawken) singled home junior infielder Elizabeth Welch (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) for an early 1-0 lead. Then in the second, junior Alli Johnson (Waukee, Iowa/Northwest) belted a deep home run over the centerfield wall for her second homer of the season.

The big inning for Macalester came in the third. The Scots loaded the bases with one out on a single by sophomore infielder Ally Wolf (Valencia, Calif./Valencia) and walks by Welch and sophomore catcher Dylan Tapia (Tarzana, Calif./Notre Dame). Junior infielder Tess Bojorquez (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) singled to score Wolf, then junior infielder Rebecca Heinze (Rosemount, Minn./Prescott) hit a two-run single to bring home Welch and Holland for a 5-0 lead. The Scots weren't done, as junior Martha Miller (Medford, Wis./Medford) hit a two-run single to plate Bojorquez and first year Ainsley Sullivan (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin School) for a 7-0 bulge.

UChicago didn't fold, as the Maroons scored four runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to make it a one-run game, 7-6. Macalester tacked on a run in the top of the sixth, with Welch executing a squeeze bunt that allowed sophomore outfielder Safiya Butler (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield School) to score from third for an 8-6 edge. The game was halted in the middle of the sixth inning, and the teams waited to play for about two hours. Once the game resumed, UChicago pushed another run across in the bottom of the sixth to pull within one, 8-7.

After the Scots were held scoreless in the top of the seventh, the Maroons managed one base runner on a walk but were retired by Miller to secure the win. Miller pitched the first two innings and the final 2 2/3 innings to improve to 3-2 on the season. She gave up one unearned run on three hits while walking three and fanning six in 4 2/3 innings of work. Offensively, Heinze, Wolf and Bojorquez registered two hits apiece, with Heinze driving in two runs.  

Macalester continues play on Tuesday, March 17 at THE Spring Games with games against Keene State (1:30 p.m. Eastern) and Bowdoin College (3:45 p.m. Easter) at Legends Way Ballfields.