WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Senior Morgan Perry (Bethany, Conn.) of the nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College softball team broke the program's all-time wins record with 62 in the Hawks opening 5-1 victory over Western Oregon. The team snapped its program-record nine game winning streak to open the season with a 3-1 loss to Findlay later in the day.
Saint Anselm, the 12th-ranked team in NCAA Division II, sees its record stand at 9-1 to end the day. The Wolves fall to 9-7 while the Oilers end the weekend with a 4-4 record. The Hawks round out the weekend with two non-conference matchups against Grand Valley State (10 a.m.) and Saginaw Valley (12:30 p.m.) on Sunday, March 1.
Perry surpassed Lisa Petell '99 for the most all-time wins in team history. In the fourth inning against Western Oregon, Perry struck out her sixth batter in the game, passing Tayla Trask '15 for third place all-time with 515 career strikeouts. Against the Wolves, she allowed two hits and one run through seven full innings, giving up three walks.
Junior Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) and senior Erin Thompson (Newton, N.H.) have each recorded a hit in the past seven straight games.
No. 12 Saint Anselm 5, Western Oregon 1 | Box Score
For the second time this season, the Hawks opponents got on the board first as Ayanna Arceneaux gave the Wolves a 1-0 lead after hitting a solo home run over the fence in right-center.
With two runners on base, sophomore Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) knotted the game at one with a single before the center field threw it away to score Klaiber. Senior Shannon Colson (Rochester, N.H.) followed up with a single to deep right field which allowed Fitzpatrick to round home. The Hawks gained the lead for the first time in the game.
In the next inning, Fitzpatrick flied out to the right fielder which brought up the runners up one base. The Wolves second baseman misplayed the ball, allowing junior Maddi Leite (Cumberland, R.I.) to score and give the Hawks a two-run advantage.
Ahead by two, Klaiber tacked on another two runs for the Hawks in the top of the seventh after hitting a two-run home run to right center field. Klaiber's bomb secured the Hawks victory over the Wolves. Klaiber has hit a home run in each of the last two days.
Murphy also moved to second place in the program's all-time stolen base list with 58 in her career. Murphy is now 18 away from her teammate, Colson.
Fitzpatrick, Klaiber and Colson had two hits each in the contest. Maddie Mayer played in the entire game for the Wolves in the circle where she struck out three batters, allowing 10 hits.
Findlay 3, No. 12 Saint Anselm 1 | Box Score
After two scoreless innings to start the contest, the Oilers broke the tie game in the top of the third. Gloria Corona had a lead-off single and then stole second base later in the inning. Megan Fisher then drove in Corona from second after hitting a single to right field.
The Hawks answered in the bottom of the fourth to even the score at one. Klaiber started with a double down the left field line, shortly after advancing to third off a wild pitch. Thompson singled to left field, bringing home Klaiber.
Findlay's Lyndsey Seamon provided the Oilers its second lead of the game with a RBI single in the top of the fifth inning that gave the visitors a 2-1 lead. Seamon kept the offense going, driving in one run in the top of seventh to clinch the win, slapping a single toward the left side.
Junior Courtney Fisher (Taunton, Mass.) recorded the loss, surrendering five hits while striking out one batter. Sophomore McKenna Smith (Old Town, Maine) finished the contest out with three innings of work, striking out six.
