AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Simmons softball (2-4) dropped a pair of games to Roanoke College, 8-3, and Monmouth (Ill.) College, 4-0, on Tuesday afternoon.  

GAME 1: ROANOKE 8, SIMMONS 3

Making her third start of the season, senior right hander Maddie Castigliego ran into trouble early with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the first. However, she managed to get out of the inning unscathed fanning Kate Houle and Lily Burns on strikes to end the threat.

It remained a scoreless ballgame until the Maroons broke it up with a two-run homerun in the bottom of the second. And they did not look back, scoring in each of the next two innings to take a 6-0 lead. 

The Sharks cut the deficit in the half pushing across a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Sophomore Raya Anderson opened the frame with a lead-off single into centerfielder before advancing into scoring position with a steal of second. First-year Teagan Buckley moved Anderson up 60 feet with a base hit of her own. Two batters later, junior Jordyn Rubin brought home Anderson with the Sharks first run on a ground ball back to the pitcher.

Following a walk to senior catcher Shannon McMahon, Castigliego helped her own cause dropping a single just in front of the Maroons' Sammie Murphy to plate Buckley. Moments later with senior Emma Thacher at the dish, Castigliego got herself caught in a run down, allowing enough time for pinch-runner A.J. Swett to score the third run of the game.

However, it was all the Sharks were able to muster against Roanoke starter Lindsay Gedro. The Maroons tacked on another two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it an 8-3 game, before Jada Karnes came out to pitch the seventh and close out the ball game. 

GAME 2: MONMOUTH 4, SIMMONS 0

Monmouth started the game off putting one run on the board in the top of the first. Simmons did their best to get on base, but nothing dangerous could fall into place.

Through the first few innings, the score was 2-0, with the Fighting Scots in control. Nevertheless, first-year Piper Kinney, making her first career start, struck out three batters, to keep the Sharks in position for the comeback.  

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Sharks was presented an opportunity to push a couple of runs across the plate. First-year shortstop Emma Soule worked a two-out walk before scampering to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Raya Anderson broke up Monmouth's Elizabeth Durfee's bid for a no-hitter with a line drive back up the middle, sending Soule to third in the process. Anderson quickly got herself into scoring position, swiping second, but Durfee quieted the threat fanning first-year Teagan Buckley for the third out.  

Monmouth extended its lead to 4-0, with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. Again, the Sharks had an opportunity to respond in the home half of the seventh, but went down in order.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS:

• First-year Piper Kinney made her first collegiate start on the mound and struck out three batters against Monmouth (Ill.).
• Senior right-hander Maddie Castigliego went 2-for-2 with an RBI against Roanoke.
• First-year right-hander Emily Deleault tossed three innings of relief against Monmouth (Ill.) striking out four Fighting Scots, while scattering four hits.
• Sophomore Raya Anderson broke up Monmouth's Elizabeth Durfee's bid for a no-hitter with a line drive bullet up the middle in the fifth inning.

UP NEXT:
Simmons continues The Spring Games on Thursday, March 9, where they will face the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (9 a.m.) and Marietta College (2 p.m.).