KALAMAZOO, Mich. – On a day set aside to honor its five seniors, the Kalamazoo College softball team split its doubleheader with Olivet at the Kalamazoo softball field Saturday afternoon.
The Hornets took game one, 7-1, and the Comets took game two, 4-1.
Game One
Backed by a strong start from Erin DuRoss, the Kalamazoo bats came to life and they did so from the get go.
The Hornets scored two runs in the bottom of the first capped by an RBI single to left field from Paige Maguire scoring Dana Page.
After a scoreless second inning, the Hornets gave DuRoss extra breathing room on the mound as they tacked on five more runs in the third.
Megan Malish got the scoring started in the third when she drew a walk to drive in a run, but Victoria Najacht busted the game open when she drove a pitch to deep left field driving in two with a double.
Hannah Pipkin and Erika Pueblo also picked up RBIs in the fifth.
DuRoss went five strong innings before handing the ball over to Nori Seita to close out the final two innings. DuRoss ended her day giving up just three hits while striking out eight.
Najacht led the offense going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Game Two
With both teams unable to make their way onto the scoreboard in the first two innings, Olivet broke through in the bottom of the third when it scored two runs.
Kalamazoo answered when Andrea MacMichael drove in Pipkin on a single to left field but that's as close as the Hornets would get the rest of the way. Olivet tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth.
DuRoss and Pueblo each recorded two hits in game two while three other Hornets recorded hits.
Kalamazoo, now 6-6 in the MIAA, hosts St. Mary's next Wednesday, April 27 in a doubleheader with strong MIAA tournament implications.