WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The USciences softball team continued its spring break trip down in Florida with three games over the weekend.

Sunday's second game versus Upper Iowa was postponed.

American International (Saturday, March 5)

University of the Sciences took a 3-2 lead with a two-run top of the fifth.

Gabrielle Simms led off with a double and Abbigail Markee followed with a single, and the two were driven in on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Gabriella Polera and Diane Torregrossa.

A solo home run quickly tied the score back up in the bottom-half, before a leadoff double led to AIC plating the game-winning run in the sixth.

USciences threatened in the top of the seventh thanks to Markee's one-out walk, as a passed ball and error advanced her to third while putting the go-ahead run on first with two outs, but the Yellow Jackets were able to strand both runners with the final out.

Markee reached base three times as she also singled to help the Devils tie the score at 1-1 on a Polera RBI groundout in the third.

Simms' double was notably the 21st of her career, which is now tied for eighth in program history.

American International opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second, and the Yellow Jackets went ahead 2-1 in the fourth thanks to three consecutive two-out singles.

Winona State (Saturday, March 5)

University of the Sciences took 1-0 and 2-1 leads after it first two at-bats, and continued to lead by one until a four-run top of the fifth.

Simms, Markee, Danielle Jones and Hannah Higgins all walked to lead the contest's first run in the bottom of the first, but the Devils would strand the bases loaded and Winona St. would knot the score with an unearned run in the top of the second.

Lauren Del Giudice's one-out triple in the bottom-half led to USciences' second run after Simms walked again and Markee drove her in on a fielder's choice. 

The Devils stranded two more runners in the frame though, before going down in order in both the third and fourth.

Freshman Olivia Quercia, starting her first career appearance, did not surrender an earned run until Winona State broke out for the four runs on five hits in the fifth.

The Warriors would add one more in the sixth before closing out the scoring with a two-run seventh for an 8-2 final.  

Simms was the lone Devil to reach base twice with her two base on balls.

Southwest Minnesota State (Sunday, March 6)

University of the Sciences cut a 4-0 deficit in half with a two-run fifth inning.

Following a Higgins leadoff walk, back-to-back singles by Miranda Rodriguez and Ashley Steiner got the Devils on the board.

The second out was recorded, but Simms came through with a two-out single to make the score 4-2.

An error then loaded the bases, but USciences would strand the three runners and SMSU responded by closing out the scoring with one run in the bottom-half.

Starter Paige Schlechter kept the Mustangs off the board for the first two innings, before an error extended the third and allowed two runs to cross.

Southwest Minnesota State then added two in the fourth.

Up Next

University of the Sciences' off day is tomorrow, with the Devils scheduled to return to the field against Notre Dame and Saint Rose on Tuesday.