Softball Fall Twice on Day 3 of Space Coast Spring Games.

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The MCLA Softball team returned to the field this afternoon at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games for a pair of games against Hamilton College and Rutgers-Newark University. The Trailblazers were overmatched in the opener against the Continentals before dropping the nightcap on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh to the Scarlet Raiders.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Monday, March 17, 2025
• Game #1: Hamilton 15, MCLA 4
• Records: Hamilton College Continentals 3-0 (NESCAC 0-0) | MCLA Trailblazers 1-3 (MASCAC 0-0)
• Series History: Hamilton leads the all-time series 3-1, including a 11-0 win by Hamilton on March 21, 2019. MCLA won the first-ever meeting of the teams on March 17, 2006 by a score of 4-3.
• Game #2: MCLA 11, Rutger-Newark 12
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 1-4 (MASCAC 0-0) | Rutgers-Newark University Scarlett Raiders 1-3 (NJAC 0-0)
• Series History: Rutgers-Newark leads the all-time series 3-1, including a 5-2 win by Rutgers-Newark on March 16, 2016. The Scarlet Raiders also won the first ever-meeting of the teams, 4-3 on March 16, 2009.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Game #1
  • Hamilton's bats were red hot from the beginning of the game, scoring nine runs in the first inning, and adding crooked numbers in the second and fourth innings, and a single run in the third.
  • Despite the rough start, the Trailblazers still showed a fighting spirit, scoring three in the bottom of the first and another in the second inning.
  • The Continentals' Emma Tansky and Gabby Garrison each went 3-3 with three runs scored.
  • MCLA's Hailey Peabody (W. Springfield, MA) went 2-3 with a run scored while Maddy Teta (Troy, NY), and Ella Staffier (Marshfield, MA) each had an extra base hit, and a run scored.
  • Teagan Graham (2-0) picked up the win for Hamilton, tossing three innings and striking out four. Aubrey Purvis added two shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts.
  • The Trailblazers' Maggie Closinski (Rome, NY) threw four and a third innings of relief, only allowing three earned runs.
• Game #2
  • MCLA's Peabody led off the game by working a walk and then in a hustle play took advantage of a passed ball on the last pitch to move all the way to second base. After Peabody stole third, Closinski brought her around to score with a single to right field.
  • Rutgers-Newark answered back with three runs in the bottom of the frame on three hits, including an RBI double by Maddy Haack.
  • The Trailblazers responded with a three spot of their own in the top of the second with some help from the Scarlet Raiders defense. With one out, Alexandra Espel (Acra, NY) stole second and came all the way around to score when the catcher's throw sailed into center field. Allee George (Bennington, VT) then followed with a triple into the right-centerfield gap and then scored when the centerfielder dropped a fly ball by Peabody.
  • The restored lead was short lived because Rutgers posted a second three run frame in as may innings. A two-run triple by Keelin O'Brien and a sacrifice fly by Joephine Morales. The Scarlett Raiders then expanded that lead again with two runs in the third inning with a pair of RBI singles by Isabella Middleton and Mariah Rimas-McManus.
  • The Trailblazers surged back in front by putting up multiple runs in each of the next three innings. In the fourth inning it was an RBI double to left by Peabody that scored Ezmeralda Albright (Loves Park, IL) who had walked. Peabody then got caught in a pickle attempting to steal third, but when the left fielder who had come in to back up the play's return throw to the pitcher went wide, it allowed Peabody to scamper home from third.
  • Teta led off the fifth inning with a bunt single and promptly stole second. A single by Staffier advanced Teta to third and some aggressive base running by her forced a bad throw by the shortstop resulting in another run for MCLA. Espel brought the second run of the inning home by plating Madyson Torres (Dripping Springs, TX) who had reached on a fielder's choice two batters earlier and moved to third on a pair of passed balls.
  • In the sixth inning the Trailblazers further built their lead to 11-8 with RBI singles by Staffier and Torres.
  • Rutgers-Newark rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring four runs on four hits, including an RBI double by Rimas-McManus, and a walk-off two run triple by Morales.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Hailey Peabody's second inning single to left field in the first game of the day for the Trailblazers was the 100^th hit of her college career.

UP NEXT:

On Tuesday, MCLA will again be in action at the Space Coast Spring Games, where it will face the Millikin University Big Blue and the St. Norbert College Green Knights. The first game is scheduled for 4:45 p.m.