GAME 2: Vermont 2, Ohio 1 (9 inn.) - Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. - The University of Vermont softball team won twice on Wednesday at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando. The Catamounts defeated Cornell 3-1 in the opener and then came back to down Ohio 2-1 in nine innings. Sophomore Aimee Kern (Wrentham, Mass.) picked up both wins in the circle for Vermont and went four-for-six at the plate with two runs scored on the afternoon.
"Aimee pitched a great game today," said head coach Pam Childs. "We played really well and came together as a team today."
In the first game of the day, Kern went the distance for Vermont, scattering four hits and only giving up one unearned run. She struck out nine and only walked one, while also recording a pair of hits at the plate.
Cornell (10-11) jumped out to a 1-0 led in the top of the third when Ashley Wolf doubled to straightaway centerfield and advanced to third on an error. Erin Murtha drove her in with a bloop single that fell in behind third base.
The Catamounts answered in the bottom half of the inning, going on top for good with a two-run double off the bat of junior Kate Ramsey (Littleton, N.H.). Senior Gillian Rappaport (Yardley, Pa.) and junior Kate Haber (Riverwoods, Ill.) each singled and with two outs Ramsey knocked them in to give the Cats a 2-1 lead.
Vermont tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, to go up by two. Sophomore Whitney Borisenok (Latham, N.Y.) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a bunt single by junior Kate DeForge (Wallingford, Conn.). Kern sacrificed both runners over and sophomore Sarah Toczylowski (Reading, Mass.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Alison Daggett (Fort Collins, Colo.) plated classmate Michelle LeClair (Ascutney, Vt.), who was pinch-running for Borisenok, with a single up the middle.
The Catamounts avenged a loss from Monday, with an extra-innings victory over Ohio (15-15) in the second contest. Vermont opened the scoring in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. Kern tripled with one out and scored on a double by Daggett. That lead would hold until the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Bobcats scored on a close call at the plate that sent the game into extra frames. Vermont (8-10) went back on top in the top of the ninth for good. Using the international tiebreaker rule, Kern started the inning on second base and was sacrificed over to third by Daggett and then scored on a pinch-hit sac fly to right by Toczylowski.
Daggett started for Vermont and pitched the first six and a third innings before giving way to Kern, who picked up her second win of the day and seventh of the season by going the final two and two-thirds. Kern and Haber each had two hits in the game.
The Catamounts wrap up their Florida trip on Friday when they take on Ivy League members Dartmouth (8:45am) and Cornell (10:30am) for the second time each this season. Vermont then opens America East play with a three-game set at Boston University starting on April 1.
Notes:
Vermont has now defeated five teams for the first time in school history this season (Charleston Southern, Cornell, Maryland Eastern Shore, Ohio and Wisconsin-Green Bay) ... The Catamounts were 0-6 all-time against Cornell prior to the victory on Wednesday ... Kern moves into a tie for eighth all-time at Vermont in career victories with 17 ... Childs is now one win shy of 300 for her career ... Vermont is now 2-1 in extra inning contests this season.