Storm tally two shutouts to end week in Florida

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Simpson softball team scored early and often on Saturday to close out its Florida trip with two shutout victories. The Storm won 8-0 over Finlandia and 11-0 against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Simpson (10-6) tallied a combined eight runs in the first inning of each contest today and have put up 12 runs in the first inning in the team's last three games. The Storm return back to the diamond on Saturday, March 23 for two games in Chicago. Simpson takes on North Park and Olivet, and will play both teams again on that following Sunday.

Simpson 8, Finlandia 0
The Lions (1-14) allowed two Storm batters to reach to start the game by committing errors. Simpson capitalized on the shaky defense and forced a total of four miscues in the opening frame. The Storm would only tally one hit in the inning coming off the bat of Madi Bennett, who had a double.

Already up 5-0 in the third, the Storm decided to add on two more runs. Camrey Leo and Claire Oetting both reached on errors to begin the inning and their pinch runners would eventually score.

Finlandia out-hit Simpson 4-3, but finished with seven errors, while the Storm played solid defense and had zero mistakes.

Brooke Fonley pickup up her second win of the year after going for four innings. Kelli Hanson came in to work the fifth inning and tallied a strikeout.

Bennett finished with two of the squad's three hits, while Amron Born had the other.

Simpson 11, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 0
Simpson scored in every inning it batted in against MCLA (1-2) and recorded 11 hits, with 10 batters each having at least one.

Megan Crockett put a charge into a ball in the first inning and put the Storm up 2-0 with her first-career home run. In the second with already a 4-0 advantage, Sara Trent hit a double to plate Crockett.

Simpson pushed four runs across in the third to go out in front 9-0 and added its final two runs in the fourth coming on four hits.

The team's 11 hits were its most since having 13 against Pittsburgh Greensburg on March 13.

The Storm were all over the basepaths and swiped four bases, with Arianna Kim having two, and Kayley Thomas and Kayla Reusche with one each.

Emily Bell was lights out in the circle today and only gave up three hits with four strikeouts, while facing only 18 batters. She only allowed one hit over the final three frames and now has a season record of 4-1.