Softball | March 10, 2017

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLEARWATER, Fla. – The La Salle softball team (8-6) topped Butler 10-2 in six innings on Friday afternoon following a 12-4 loss to Indiana State on the opening day of the USF Under Armour Invitational.

Indiana State 12, La Salle 4
The Explorers took a 3-1 lead in the 4^th inning on a Reilly Gearhart sac fly and a Lindsey Gaines two-run single before the Sycamores (9-6) answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning against Marlo Roadcap (L, 4-2).

Indiana State added a run in the 5^th on a sac fly against McKenzie Peace to take a 6-3 lead. Angelina Refice had an RBI groundout in the 6^th to make it a two-run game but the Sycamores tacked on six more runs in the 6^th to end the game.

Only four of the runs charged to Peace were earned after a La Salle fielding error with one out in the 6^th.

La Salle 10, Butler 2
The Bulldogs (7-11) jumped out to a 2-0 lead but the Explorers posted 10 unanswered runs to rally for the win, starting with a Mackenzie Obert solo homer in the 2^nd.

Reilly Gearhart (W, 1-2) settled down after the two-run 1^st inning to hold Butler scoreless for the next five frames. The freshman collected six strikeouts while yielding just three hits. 

Angelina Refice tripled to start the 3rd and tied the game at 2-2 on a Christina Bascara double before Michelle Hagarty put the Explorers up 3-2 with a sac fly later in the inning. After La Salle scored a run on a Butler fielding error with two outs in the 4th, Valerie Pineiro made it 6-2 with a two-run single to right.

Refice picked up an RBI with a fielder's choice in the 5^th and Taylor Rohrbaugh drilled a three-run homer to left in the bottom of the 6^th to end the game.
 
The Explorers are back in action for two games Saturday starting with a 9:15 AM game against Mount St. Mary's. La Salle then plays Central Connecticut State at 11:30 AM.