Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Spring Hill College (SHC) softball team lost both halves of a non-conference doubleheader to the 14th-ranked Florida Tech (FIT) Panthers at Nancy Bottge Field on Tuesday afternoon by dropping the first game 3-0 and then falling 6-5 in extra innings in the second game.

In game 1, the FIT Panthers (7-2) took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning when a successful squeeze bunt by right fielder Ashley Montion with one out brought designated player Emily York in from 3rd base ahead of a diving tag attempt by starting Badger senior pitcher Caroline Sagrera. FIT later added two unearned insurance runs in the 6th inning when a bases-loaded single plated a score from 3rd base and an errant throw home pulled freshman SHC catcher Kali Clement off the plate.

Junior centerfielder Jenna Charnock picked up two hits in the first game while Sagrera (1-4) allowed six hits with six strike outs with two walks. Pitcher Rachel Pence (6-0) of the Panthers surrendered six hits with three strike outs and no walks while York had two hits with a double at the plate.

In the nightcap, junior designated player Mary Glass opened the scoring in the 4th inning with a solo home run to post SHC to a 1-0 lead with her second long ball of the season. Senior left fielder Taylor Lahasky of SHC scored in the 5th inning off a one-out RBI fielder's choice to shortstop by sophomore third baseman Rene Kausin.

FIT cut it down to a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the 5th frame when Lexus Smith drove in a run with a triple down the left filed line, but then got picked off third base by freshman catcher Kali Clement on the next pitch as she ventured too far the baseline.

Glass made it 3-1 game with another solo homer just inside left field foul pole to leadoff the 6th inning. Freshman pinch hitter Savannah Folse drove in her first career RBI with a double later in the 6th inning to make it 4-1 Badger bulge.

The Panthers made it a 4-2 game in the bottom of the 6th when sophomore Badger shortstop Carmen Byrd scooped a grounder to make an unassisted out at second base only to rush her throw to first allowing a runner to scamper home on the wild throw. Freshman pitcher Danielle Clark (1-1) stopped the bleeding, however, by coaxing an inning-ending pop-out to Bryd.

FIT put the tying runs on 2nd and 3rd base with one out in the bottom of the 7th inning and catcher Nicole Shinsky made Clark pay with a two-RBI double off the top of the left field wall that knotted the game at 2-2, but two consecutive pop outs to Kausin sent the contest into extra innings.

Madeline Burchell drove in Clement from 3rd base with a solid single to left-centerfield with one out in the top of the 8th inning to put the Badgers back up 5-4. The Panthers once again put runners at second and third with one out as Sarah Hayes drove a single through the infield to tie the game at 5-5. A wild pitch by reliever Sagrera then brought in the winning run.

Clark went 7.1 innings with 11 hits allowed, two walks and two strike outs. Amanda Kahn (1-0) picked up the win in relief with two innings of work allowing two hits.

Spring Hill (2-5) next visits Lakeland, Fla., to play the Florida Southern College Moccasins (0-2) in a non-conference doubleheader at Barnett Field on Wednesday at 5 p.m. (Eastern)