CLERMONT, Fla. – The Neumann University Softball team competed in their second day at The Spring Games, earning a 13-1 win over Chatham University, and a 12-8 win against Simmons University.
 
The day started with two scoreless innings against Chatham but with one out in the third, Tori Spinella reached on a fielding error and immediately stole second. Cioni Simmons was then walked, and both Spinella and Simmons pulled off a double steal. Gracie Jairdullo followed with a bunt single, her first collegiate hit, to load the bases and Kayla Naylor also bunted for a single, driving in Spinella for a 1-0 lead. Nicole Anderson followed with an RBI infield hit to drive in Simmons then Jenna Calchi singled to center to plate Naylor and G. Jairdullo. Emily Miller followed with her first collegiate hit to again load the bases, but the rally stalled there with the Knights leading 4-0.
 
In the fourth, with one away, Simmons hit an infield single, moved to second on a throwing error, and stole third. Two batters later, pinch-hitter Dakota Marshall picked up her first NCAA RBI as she singled to right-center to score Simmons. In the bottom of the inning, Chatham got on the board on a sacrifice for a 5-1 game.
 
Simmons got things rolling with one out in the sixth as she was hit by a pitch and stole second. G. Jairdullo followed with a single up the middle, scoring Simmons. G. Jairdullo quickly stole second and moved to third on a bunt single by Marshall. G. Jairdullo then scored as she stole home on the front end of a double steal. Marshall advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch for an 8-1 lead.
 
The Knights added on in the seventh as Emily Ammon walked to lead off the inning and stole second. Ellie Zarnawski reached on an error and advanced to second while Ammon scored. Zarnawski then moved to third on a wild pitch and Spinella walked and got to second on a wild pitch. Simmons followed with a groundout to plate Zarnawski and move Spinella to third. Spinella was able to score on a dropped pop up and both Anderson and Calchi plated runs on RBI doubles to make it a 12-run game.  
 
Lauren Farrier got the start in the circle and three hits and struck out three for the no-decision. Marina Costello came in relief and earned the win. In four innings of work, she allowed a run on three hits and three walks while striking out nine. Calchi was 3 for 4 with a double, a walk, and three runs batted in. Marshall went 2 for 3 with a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored. G. Jairdullo was 2-for-5 with two steals, a run batted in, and three runs scored while Anderson went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI and a run. Simmons finished the game with three steals and three runs scored.
 
After a quick change of fields, Neumann fell behind in the first inning against Simmons as they scored three runs, all on errors. In the bottom of the inning, with one away, Zarnawski singled to centerfield and moved to second on a wild pitch. Bella Morales drove her in with a single up the middle. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third with a stolen base. Maddi Katchuk walked and stole second then Rebecca DiLeo loaded the bases on a fielder's choice. Ammon followed with a walk to force in Morales and pull the Knights within one.
 
In the top of the second, the Sharks got a run back on an RBI single, but Neumann responded quickly. Rylie Norris led off the bottom of the frame with a walk and moved to third when Marshall doubled to right-center. Zarnawski followed with a double of her own, scoring both Norris and Marshall to tie the game. Morales drew a walk and both her and Zarnsawski made it to second and third after a fielder's choice. DiLeo loaded the base on a hit by pitch and Ammon drew a walk to give the Knights the lead. Taylor Vaugh extended the lead with her first collegiate hit and RBI by placing a single into left to plate Morales.  Erin O'Shea drove in two more runs on a single to center. 11 batters came to the plate in the inning as Neumann took an 8-4 lead.
 
The next inning, Zarnawski and Morales walked and moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Katchuk. After DiLeo walked to load the bases, Ammon drove in Zarnawski on a fielder's choice to push the lead to five. Simmons got on the board in the fifth to pull within four. They added another in the six on an error as the Knights led 9-6.
 
In the bottom of the inning, DiLeo and Ammon singled and both moved up a base on Vaugh's sacrifice bunt. O'Shea drove in both on a single to left-center and moved to second on a ground out. She came in to score when Marshall doubled to close the Knights scoring. The Sharks picked up a solo home run and an RBI double in the seventh, but they could not get closer.
 
O'Shea was 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. Marshall was 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored and Zarnawski was 2 for 4 with a double, a walk, two RBI, and three runs. Ammon was a part of five Neumann runs with three RBI and two runs scored. DiLeo got her first collegiate win in the circle as she allowed just two earned runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out five in 6.2 innings, picking up her first collegiate win.
 
Neumann (2-2) will be back on the field on Monday morning for their third day of action in Florida. They'll take on Marian University at 9:00 AM and Wisconsin's Concordia University at 11:30 AM.