Written by: Zach West

Over Spring Break the Lady Zips softball team was in action in the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla., and the Capital Classic in Sacramento, Calif., compiling a 5-4 record between the two events and bringing their record to 11-11 for the season.

On March 9-12 the Zips participated in the Rebel Spring games and posted a record of 4-2.  Their opponents included Penn, Indiana State, Holy Cross, Yale, Rider, Fairfield, Army and Wagner.  They posted wins against Penn., Holy Cross, Yale and Wagner, while dropping games to Indiana State and Army.  The games against Rider and Fairfield were canceled.

In the win against Penn on the first day, the Zips went ahead 3-0 in the top of the first. Allison Dorr added her second homerun of the season by hitting a two-run shot in the first. They added another run in the top of the sixth while Penn added two runs in the bottom of the sixth in an attempted comeback.

Brittany Mauer was credited with the win from the mound and Dorr led the team in hitting, going 2-2 with a homerun and two RBIs.

On the second day of the event, the Zips posted wins against Holy Cross and Yale. On the day, the Zips held their opponents to no runs.  Mauer was credited with the win against Holy Cross and Lisa Lash got her first win of the season against Yale.

Against Holy Cross, Katie Gross started off the scoring in the second inning by driving in two RBIs.  Rachael Ratcliffe added an RBI in the third off a single.  The Zips scored three more runs in the fourth inning to make the final 6-0.

Against Yale, the Zips scored four runs in the second inning, led by Taryn Allmon, who brought in two runs off of a double then scored herself off a bunt by Alex Helfrich. Helfrich scored off a single by Gross.  The team added two runs in the fourth and another in the top of the seventh to make the final 7-0.

On the final day of the event, the Zips split their games, posting a 3-0 win against Wagner and a 5-0 loss to Army.

The Zips scored two runs in the third inning and added another run in the fifth. Mauer, who was credited with a loss against Army, got the win from the circle improving her record on the year to 9-8.

The weekend of March 17-18 the Zips traveled to Sacramento to compete in the Capital Classic.  They posted a 1-2 record, putting up a win against Princeton and dropping games to Colorado State and nationally ranked Louisville.  Their game against Sacramento State was canceled Sunday.

In the win against Princeton, the Zips’ scoring efforts were led by Allmon and Helfrich in the third inning after a pair of singles in the third.  Trailing 2-0, Allmon and Helfrich scored on a throwing error. In the fourth, Helfrich drove in the leading run with a single. Mauer took it from there, completing the game in the circle and not giving up a run after the third inning and improved her record to 10-8.

The Zips are back in action March 25 to play a doubleheader at the University of Dayton.  The Zips then have their home opener at Lee R. Jackson Field March 27 at 3 p.m. against Youngstown State and open up MAC play at home on March 30 against Toledo.