Scots Complete First Week of Florida Trip

Katelynn Caywood is hitting .364 with four extra-base hits and four RBI after one week of spring break games in Florida.

The College of Wooster softball team has opened its season by compiling a record of 4-6 during the first week of its trip south to Ft. Myers, Fla. over spring break. Of its six losses, four have come by the slimmest of margins -only one run - with two of those being decided in extra innings.The Scots will wrap up their trip with six more contests this week in hopes of returning home to Wooster with a .500 record or better.

Wooster opened its trip by splitting a pair of games on March 11, falling to Carroll (Wis.) College 8-7 in the season opener for both squads, despite jumping out to an early 4-0 lead after one inning and a 3-for-3, five RBI performance from senior Maria Gonzalez at the plate, who was a single short of hitting for the cycle. The Scots rebounded in game two, recovering from a seven-run deficit to score a 8-7 win over Cazenovia College, and rode the arm of freshman Andrea Kelley who pitched five innings in relief, striking out six and allowing only two runs to pick up her first collegiate victory.

Day two began much the same as the first, with Wooster battling Geneva College to a 1-1 tie through regulation and eventually falling 2-1 in eight innings. Junior Katelynn Caywood had a big stick for the Scots, accouting for three of Wooster's 10 hits in the contest. The nightcap saw the Scots bang out 13 more hits, en route to a 11-4 thrashing of Salem State College, this time behind the bat of freshman Renee Fox, who was 4-for-5 with a homerun and five RBI.

On March 14, Wooster dropped yet another heartbreaker, this time a 3-2 decision to Richard Stockton University in 8 innings, and followed it up with a 2-0 loss to Wheaton (Mass.) College in its second outing of the day. The Scots were held to a combined six hits through both contests.

Wooster met Salem State for a rematch on March 15, with the Scots bats coming alive again in an 11-hit effort, including Caywood's 3-for-4, two RBI performance as they held on for a 5-4 victory. The nightcap proved to be a nightmare for Wooster, as the Scots bats were silenced and their defense committed five errors en route to a 8-0 mercy-rule shortened loss to Bowdoin College.

After another day's rest, Wooster returned to action on March 17, taking NCAA Division II Franklin Pierce College down to the wire, with the game tied going into the seventh. Junior Ali Barone singled and drove home Gonzalez in the top of the inning to give the Scots a 4-3 lead, but Franklin Pierce responded by plating two runs in the bottom of the inning to earn the 5-4 victory. Sophomore Katie Pifer picked up the tough loss on the mound, after scattering nine hits over 6.1 innings and fanning seven batters. The Scots turned things around in the nightcap, coming away with a 3-2 decision over Bethel (Minn.) University. Down by one in the sixth inning, Barone singled and two Scots' runs scored via an error by Bethel, and Kelley shut down the heart of the visitors' line-up in the seventh to ensure the Wooster win.

Through ten games thus far in the season, the Scots, as a team, are hitting at a .270 clip (73-for-270), with 43 runs and 17 extra-base hits. Their opponents are faring slightly better, batting .306 (83-for-271) with 47 runs and 16 extra-base knocks.

Leading the Wooster bat attack is sophomore Kate Kiley, who is speeding her way to a .400 average (12-for-30) and three stolen bases, with six runs scored and three RBI. Fox is enjoying a fine start to her career, hitting a .364 clip (8-for-22) with a homerun and seven RBI, while Caywood has also smacked eight hits (.364), with three doubles, one homerun, four RBI and a .636 slugging percentage. In addition, senior Eva Lyon is also batting above the .300 mark, with an average of .333 (6-for-18) and one RBI.

The young Scot pitching staff is led by Kelley, who after 32.2 innings thrown, has complied a record of 3-2 and an ERA of 1.93, allowing 37 hits, while striking out 22, walking only six and limiting her opponents to a .296 batting average. Pifer (1-4) is also seeing plenty of action, holding an ERA of 4.11 after 32.1 innings pitched this season, allowing 41 hits, while fanning 16 batters and walking 13.