LEESBURG, FL. -Â In their fifth game in three days, Colgate Softball rode a five-run first inning to defeat the Butler Bulldogs 13-2 to finish the weekend with a 2-3 record.
The scoring started early and often after a Kara Fusco single and Quinn Livesay sacrifice fly to put the Raiders up 2-0. The inning would finally end after three more runs came across the board thanks to a pair of singles from Alexis Romero and Rachel Carney and a great display of plate discipline from Bailey Burns, whose walk forced in another run.
The next one-and-a-half innings would be quiet for both sides before the Raiders added two unearned runs in the top of the third. The runs came from a defensive blunder by Butler on a bunt single by Elizabeth Nitka and a fielder's choice by Burns. In the following inning, the Raiders would tag on two more following a single from Amanda DeSantis and a fielder's choice by Nitka.
Adrienne Nardone would make her presence known in a big way, entering the fifth with a monster three-run homer that increased Colgate's lead to 12-0. Freshman Rowan Mulholland lined a single up the middle later in the inning to drive home the Raiders' 13th run of the game.
Butler strung together a few hits in the bottom of the fifth to push a pair of runs across for the Bulldogs, but it was not enough to prevent the mercy rule from going into effect.
On the mound for Colgate, Bailey Misken secured her first win of the season in a complete game showing where she gave up only seven hits, three walks, and two earned runs.
UP NEXT
The Raiders (2-3) head down to Conway, S.C., to compete in the Battle at the Beach next weekend. Colgate's first game will be against East Carolina at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17.
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