Clermont, Florida - Willamette Softball split their final two games in Florida, defeating Colby College 8-3 and losing in ten innings to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville 8-7.  Emma Elliott had seven hits on the day, including a perfect 5-for-5 in the game versus Colby.  She had five runs batted in and scored four runs across the two games.

The Bearcats got off to a strong start in the opening game as they scored three runs on a series of singles by Maris Pinheiro, Elliott, and Mia Rogers, and a double steal that scored Faith Collar with the third run.  Colby scored three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning on a home run and some consecutive singles of their own to tie the score 3-3 after one inning.

Willamette threatened again in the top of the second inning, but failed to score, but Mia Lund was able to break the tie in the third with a solo home run to left center that gave the Bearcats a 4-3 lead.  The Bearcats were able to add to their lead with a single run in the fourth when Elliott singled, stole a base, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Collar. Then in the fifth, Elliott singled home another run to score Lund, who had tripled to lead off the inning.  Willamette closed out the scoring in the top of the seventh with another double steal that scored Desirae Hatfield and made the final score 8-3.

Lizzie Brasher, who entered the game in the second inning in relief to Abigail Loomis, scattered nine hits over her six innings to keep Colby off the scoreboard and earned the win for Willamette. In addition to Elliott's perfect day at the plate, Hatfield added three hits for the Bearcats and Lund had a home run and a triple for her two hits.

Game two started as a pitcher's duel with just a couple of hits in the opening innings until UW-Platteville was able to break through with a single run in the third inning.  Hatfield got the first hit for Willamette in the bottom of the fourth and the Bearcats got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Lund scored on a double by Elliott, who came home on another single by Hatfield.

Starting pitcher Kenna Davis continued to keep Platteville hitters off-balance and struck out the first two batters in the seventh before a couple of singles and a passed ball allowed the Pioneers to score the tying run.  Each team scored a run in the eighth to keep the score tied and then each team scored four more in the ninth to stay tied.  Trailing 7-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Elliott tripled with the bases loaded and scored on a throwing error to send the game to the tenth.  In the tenth, the Bearcats were not able to match Platteville's run and the game ended 8-7.

Davis pitched all ten innings for Willamette, giving up only one earned run on eleven hits and striking out seven.  Mia Rogers led the Bearcats with three hits with Hatfield and Elliott each adding two hits, the last one for Elliott being the game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth.

Willamette went 5-1 overall on their spring break trip and returns home for their next games, a Northwest Conference match-up with Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, April 4th, and Sunday, April 5th.