Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – La Salle softball hit the road for an intense spring break, which had the team playing eight games over the course of the week. The Blue and Gold were set to play twin bills on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of this week. At the halfway mark of the trip the Explorers have yet to crack the win column. However, there are several positives to point to, as the young Explorers continue to gain experience as they inch closer to the Atlantic 10 conference slate.
 
March 3
 
Niagara 9 - La Salle 2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Niagara	0	0	3	2	2	0	2	9	10	0
La Salle	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	8	0

The Explorers dropped the first game of the week, falling to Niagara 9-2. Alicia Aughton got the start for the Blue and Gold, going four innings in the loss. She cruised through the first two frames, allowing only one batter to reach base.
 
The Explorers threatened in the top half of the first, advancing a runner into scoring position. With one out, Kendra Heyer walked and single by Christina Bascara pushed her into scoring position. However, the Explorers could not push a run across.
 
The Purple Eagles were able to break through against Aughton in the top of the third inning. Niagara connected for four hits in the inning, pushing across three runs to open the scoring. They tacked on two more runs in the fourth to open up a 5-0 lead.
 
The Explorers cut in to the lead in the bottom half. Megan Hodgson doubled with one out and moved to third on an error. Aughton drove Hodgson home on a ground out to the shortstop.
 
The Blue and Gold struck for another run in the bottom half of the fifth. With two outs, shortstop Michelle Hagarty drove pitch over the left field fence for her first collegiate home run to cut the Purple Eagle lead to 7-2.
 
That would be as close as the Explorers could get. Niagara tacked on two runs in the seventh to close out the game.
 
La Salle 0 – St. Francis (Pa.) 5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
La Salle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
St. Francis (Pa.)	0	0	2	1	1	1	-	5	7	0

The Explorer bats failed to get any traction against St. Francis (Pa.) in the nightcap. Mary Cate Scott got the start for the Explorers, going five innings and conceding four runs. The teams battled to a stalemate through the first two innings. St. Francis (Pa.) broke the ice with two runs in the bottom half of the third. They would tack on a run in each inning to close out the game, the final coming off freshman pitcher Val Buehler.
 
March 4
 
La Salle 5 – Sacred Heart 6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Sacred Heart	5	0	0	0	0	1	0	6	8	0
La Salle	2	0	0	0	3	0	0	5	7	3

Mary Cate Scott got the start in the opening game of the double-header against Sacred Heart going the full seven innings in the loss. The Explorers were plagued by shaky defense in the opening inning, which would come back to bite them in this matchup. The Pioneers struck for five unearned runs, facilitated by three Explorer errors in the top half of the first.
 
The Explorers cut the deficit to three, answering with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. They notched three more to tie the score at 5-5 in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
 
However, Sacred Heart was able to scratch a run across to reestablish the Pioneer lead in the top half of the sixth. The Explorers were unable to answer, coming up just short in the comeback bid.
 
Freshman Suzanne Swanicke went 3-for-3 with three RBI's in the contest, stroking two doubles and a single. Senior Megan Hodgson went 2-for-4, adding an RBI. Freshman Christina Bascara went 1-for-3 with an RBI triple.
 
Sacred Heart 7 – La Salle 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
La Salle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Sacred Heart	0	0	0	2	5	0	-	7	8	0

The Explorer bats struggled to get anything going in the second game of the double-header, falling to the Pioneers 7-0. Alicia Aughton got the start for the Explorers, going 4.1 innings and allowing all seven runs.
 
The Blue and Gold only could scratch across two hits in the contest on singles from Kristin Travers and Linnette Siedler.
 
The Pioneers struck for two runs in the bottom half of the fourth and five more in the bottom half of the fifth. Val Buehler came in with one out in the fifth, closing down Sacred Heart for the final 1.2 innings.
 
Top Preformers
Christina Bascara 4-for-11; 3B, RBI
Megan Hodgson 5-for-12; RBI
Suzanne Swanicke 5-for-11; 2 2B, 3 RBI
 
Up Next
The Explorers will finish up their spring break with two more double-headers on Thursday and Friday. La Salle will face St. Francis (Pa.) and UMass Lowell on Thursday. They will close out Rebel Spring Games action against Niagara and UMass Lowell on Friday.