TUCSON, Ariz. – Lady Argo softball swept their three games in Arizona, all by one run, and only give up a total of five runs. UGF defeated Siena Heights (Mich.) 1-0 to start the day and earned wins against Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.) 2-1 and Missouri Valley 5-4.
Against Siena, senior Keeley Van Blaricom pitched the team's first complete game shutout of the season in a 10 strikeout, three hit performance. Blaricom almost didn't receive the one run of support she needed to get the win but finally in the bottom of the fifth senior Chloe Cross singled and then advanced to second as junior pinch runner Kyra Dorval crossed home from second. Neither team scored after and UGF came away with the 1-0 win.
All the action in the UGF vs. Benedictine-Mesa happened in the second inning. Ben. U drew first blood after a single drove in a runner who had reached third base off of an error during the previous at bat. That score came with no outs in the inning and against senior pitcher Shelby Houska in her first action of the season. The Lady Argo defense rallied after that, however, with shortstop Mindy Larson turning a double play and then Houska forcing a Redhawk into a groundout.
In the bottom of the second junior Alissa Keeler started off a comeback rally with a single. Junior Jackie Thomas then reached first on an error and soon she and Keeler advanced one more base off of a single from junior Morgan Robinson. After a second UGF strikeout, junior catcher Jocelyn Kaufman came to plate and belted another single to score both Keeler and Thomas.
The UGF pitching took over from there. Houska pitched two more inning before being relieved by freshman Brie Clifford for one scoreless inning and then Van Blaricom for two more. Keeler ended the game a perfect three for three from the plate with two singles, a double, and one run.
Hitting played a bigger role in the third game, a 5-4 win over Missouri Valley. UGF entered the bottom of the fifth down 4-3 but three straight singles from senior Alex Lowry, Van Blaricom, and Keeler resulted in the tying run from Lowry and left Van Blaricom at third with no outs. Senior Melissa Roach's groundout at the next at-bat drove in Van Blaricom and gave the Lady Argos the lead.
Junior pitcher Shelby Abeyta finished off the next two innings with a clean sheet to give UGF the win. Keeler against went perfect at the plate, getting walked twice before driving in the tying run with her third and last at-bat of the game. Robinson accounted for three of the team's five runs, driving two in and scoring a third.
After two days of play, UGF has a record of 4-1. They will face a tough test next, playing their first ranked opponent of the year against (25) University of Saint Francis at 2:30 p.m. MST on Sunday, March 6. Before they play USF, they will go against Ashford University at 10 a.m.
