Tartans Win First Game in Program History, Split the Day

(WINTER HAVEN, Fla.) – Behind the pitching of freshman Scotty McGee (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Huntington Beach), the Carnegie Mellon University softball team won the program's first game in school history by a 4-1 score against Arcadia University on Monday, March 11. The Tartans split action for the day, falling 6-5 to Wisconsin Lutheran University in the second game of the day, to move to 1-3 for the year.

Game 1: Carnegie Mellon 4, Arcadia 1

The Tartans put four hits down against the Knights and forced the defense into seven errors while McGee scattered five hits with seven strikeouts. Freshman Io Jette-Kouri (Pasadena, Calif. / Westridge) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a double, registering her second straight game with multiple base hits. The other two hits for the Tartans were off the bats of freshman Piper Johnson (Riverside, Calif. / Martin Luther King) and McGee.

Johnson hit in the first run of the game in the second inning on a fielder's choice when the second baseman made a play at the plate that got away from the catcher.

After a homerun by Arcadia's Ashley Eckett tied the game in the fifth inning, the Tartans answered right back scoring an unearned run after two errors in the frame. Two additional runs were scored by Carnegie Mellon in the bottom of the sixth after Jette-Kouri and Johnson had back-to-back singles with one out. With two outs, McGee put the ball in play which the second baseman misplayed first with her glove before overthrowing first base, allowing Jette-Kouri to score before Johnson avoided the tag at the plate for the final run of the inning.

Game 2: Wisconsin Lutheran 6, Carnegie Mellon 5

Freshman Gwen Delacruz (Laguna Nigel, Calif. / Aliso Niguel) scattered five hits through the first six innings before loading the bases with a hit, walk, fielder's choice putout at third, and an infield single. Freshman Amanda Schwartz (Fairfield, N.J. / West Essex Regional) entered the game and surrendered a hit up the middle that scored a run with a second run scoring on a throwing error to the plate. The next batter forced a throwing error which scored two and tied the game at 5-5. Delacruz reentered to pitch and gave up a hit up the middle that scored the Warriors winning run.

The Tartans took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Jette-Kouri led off with a double and advance to third on a wild pitch. Freshman Summer Faille (Thousand Oaks, Calif. / Westlake) walked and advanced to second, pressuring the defense to make a play at second which scored Jette-Kouri. Delacruz then doubled to left center scoring Faille and later scored on a single by freshman Brittany Pierce (Darien, Conn. / Darien).

Freshman Megan Hu (Katy, Texas / Seven Lakes) tripled in freshman Emily Song (Mount Arlington, N.J. / Roxbury), who reached on a single, in the fifth inning and then scored on an error to make the score 5-1 in favor of the Tartans.

Freshman Meghan Holquist (Ellicott City, Md. / Mount Hebron) connected for two hits in three at bats for the first multi-hit game of her career.

The Tartans return to the field on Tuesday against Marietta College at 11:45 a.m. and Meredith College at 2:15 p.m.