PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The West Florida softball team opened this year’s Spring Fling tournament splitting a double header with Bethel College on Monday afternoon. Jillian Lafrance (Calgary, Alberta/Charleston Southern) earned her 8th win in a 5-0 shutout in game one. Emily Burge (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) suffered the 8-3 loss, as the Argos moved to 12-3 on the season.
Melissa Chastang (Satsuma, Ala./Satsuma HS) was 4-for-7 on the day, while Lafrance went 3-for-5 at the plate. In addition, Shannon Miles (Shreveport, La./Bossier Parrish CC) had a 3-for-4 outing in the second game.
Serving as the visiting team in the first game, West Florida jumped on the board just three batters into the top of the first inning. Third baseman Amber Ingram (Pensacola, Fla./Catholic HS) drew a leadoff walk, and rounded the bases on Caurie Miller’s (Orlando, Fla./Troy) second home run of the season directly over the centerfield fence.
Again in the third, the Argos added two beginning with a single through the left side from Chastang, followed by Miller who drew a walk. Lafrance then delivered her second triple of the season to score both runners and increase the lead to four.
One more for insurance came in the top of the 7th after Ingram drew her third walk and Chastang smacked another single. After a wild pitch advanced Ingram, Miles hit a sacrifice fly to score the final run.
The Argos had a promising first inning of the second game, pushing two across in the bottom half. With Ingram on with a leadoff single and Sarah Garcia (Miami, Fla./Wallace CC) on base with a double, Miles answered with an RBI double to score both.
The Pilots were held scoreless until the third in which one run crossed the plate. The Argos answered, increasing the lead to two off an RBI single from Kat Pursell (Cantonment, Fla./Tate HS). Bethel, however, answered right back in a detrimental sixth inning that added four runs on six hits.
Relentlessly in the 7th, the Pilots added three more to earn the victory. Pitcher Katie Boocher drove a two-run homerun that sealed the deal, handing the Argos their third loss of the season.
West Florida will take the field again tomorrow afternoon beginning at 3pm in a doubleheader against Morningside College.