MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Converse College softball team dropped a pair of games at the USSSA Space Coast Stadium on Saturday, February 23. In game one the Valkyries fell 13-3 to the Cougars of Columbus State before dropping an 8-2 contest to Florida Tech in the nightcap.
GAME ONE: Converse 3, Columbus St. 13
The Cougars got the bats going early, posting four runs in the top of the first inning, the big blow coming off the bat of Emily Perdue, who tripled to right center, collecting two RBIs. Following a scoreless second inning for both teams, CSU came back in the third with a pair of runs followed by one in the fifth to open the lead up to 7-0.
Converse finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three times with the benefit of only one hit. Allison Plafcan posted two RBIs while Gabrielle Cuevas added an RBI-single in the frame.
However, Columbus State picked those three runs back up in the top of the sixth as well as three more in the seventh, while holding Converse scoreless over the final two innings to secure the 13-3 win.
GAME TWO: Converse 2, Florida Tech 8
Following a scoreless first inning by both teams, Florida Tech broke the game open with a five-run second inning. Shanysse Emerencia blasted a three-run homerun to center field during the at-bat. Single runs in the third and fourth innings allowed the Panthers to extend their lead to 7-0.
Converse cut the deficit to 7-1 in the top of the fifth following a Marissa Martin RBI-single to right center. After the first two batters were retired in order, Moriah Gomez kept the frame alive with a single with a single through the left side. Brooklyn McElrath followed that up with a base-knock of her own, leading to Martin's run-scoring hit.
Florida Tech padded its lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Converse came right back with a run of its own in the top of the seventh. Plafcan added to her RBI total on the day with a base hit up the middle that allowed Daija Irizarry to score. However, the threat ended with just the lone score and FIT took the 8-2 win.
The Valkyries will return to the field tomorrow morning for the second and final day of the Florida Tech Tournament. Game one will see Converse face Palm Beach Atlantic at 10 a.m. before battling North Georgia at 12:30 p.m.