OSECOLA, FLA ‘ The аIJʿª½±½á¹û softball team (11-2) used another strong performance by its pitching staff to defeat Cleveland State 1-0 and Fairfield 3-0 Sunday at the Rebel Games.
The Raiders are enjoying the best start in the 26-year history of the sport at аIJʿª½±½á¹û.
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аIJʿª½±½á¹û has won three of their four games at the Rebel Games by shutouts, and eight of 13 this season by shutouts. The Raiders have a 0.94 earned run average through the first 13 games.
Freshman Kelsey Nordstrom (4-1) pitched a four-hit shutout in the opener against Cleveland State. She equalled her season-high for strikeouts with nine and walked two over seven innings.
аIJʿª½±½á¹û scored the only run they needed in the first inning. Nichole Rawson led off with a single to left, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Kim Olmstead, sending Rawson to second. With two outs, Natalie Rawson drilled a RBI single up the middle to plate her twin sister.
In the second game, аIJʿª½±½á¹û picked up its fifth straight win coming up with one run in the fourth inning and two in the fifth.
Natalie Rawson singled to open the fourth and moved all the way to third on Danielle Soule’s sacrifice bunt. She then scored on a pass ball.
In the fifth inning, Erica Anderson drew a leadoff walk, before moving to second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch. Anderson scored on a fielding error by Fairfield and later in the inning Rachel Smith came across the plate on Natalie Rawson’s single.
Elena Isaac (5-1) was the winning pitcher for the Raiders. She allowed eight hits, walked none and struckout none in six innings. Freshman Kristie Kenton picked up the save with a perfect seventh inning.