Softball earns key regional wins over Alliance, STAC

LANTANA, Florida - The American International College softball team needed some success and found it on Tuesday, March 14, sweeping Alliance University and St. Thomas Aquinas College 3-2 and 2-1.

AIC improves to 2-6 on the season.

Alliance used a single, stolen base, and another single to take a 1-0 lead in the third, and added another in the fifth with two hits and an error to go ahead 2-0. However, AIC bounced back in the home half of the frame, as Julia Krjigsman doubled and came home on an Abigail Wells hit. Wells then swiped second, allowing Mackenzie Berman to drive her in with a base knock.

Alliance threatened in the seventh; with one out, they put runners on first and second, but Riley Sullivan came into the circle to relieve Krjigsman and induced a groundout and a lineout to snuff the threat. That set the stage for AIC to end it in the bottom frame, and the Yellow Jackets capitalized. Wells walked and stole second again, advancing to third on a groundout. She then came home when Berman's grounder to second was mishandled, giving AIC its first win of the day.

Wells continued to be the catalyst for AIC against the Spartans, leading off the third with a triple. Sarah Falcone was able to hit a fly ball to left that allowed the speedy outfielder to score for a 1-0 edge.

Both teams posted a run in the sixth. AIC's came on three straight hits, as Berman, Leah Twyman, and Samantha Sanchez each singled. The Spartan response involved a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game.

However, Isabella Erti slammed the door, finishing the complete-game four-hitter with a flawless seventh frame that included one of her four strikeouts. She allowed no walks and just four hits in the effort.

The team's Florida adventures continue with games against Purdue Northwest and D'Youville on Wednesday, March 15.