Blaine Kinsey

GoSycamores.com

ORLANDO, Fla.—The Indiana State Softball team fell behind early and even with a furious late rally, were never able to overcome the deficit as they fell to the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh 10-1 in the final game of the UCF Spring Fling Sunday.

The Mountain Hawks used timely hitting in the top of the first inning with two outs to score five runs to jump out to the early advantage.

In the bottom of the first, the Sycamores tried to answer, in the bottom of the first as freshman Shaye Barton was hit by a pitch before junior Brooke Riemenschneider hit an RBI double off the left center field wall cut the lead to 5-1.

Lehigh added one more in the top of the second before senior first baseman Abbie Malchow made her first pitching appearance in three years to pitch a hitless third inning. 

The Mountain Hawks struck again in the fifth and sixth, plating two runs in each frame to extend their lead to 10-1 after 5.5 innings.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Sycamores battled back as junior Rylee Holland singled before Barton reached on a fielders choice to put runners on first and second with no outs. Riemenschneider then singled to score both Holland and Barton. After a single by junior Erika Crissman, freshman Monique Castillo hit a sacrifice fly to score Riemenschneider and cut the lead to 10-4.

The Sycamores then added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and got two additional runners on but couldn't extend the game as they fell by a final score of 10-7.

Riemenschneider finished the game 3-4 at the plate with four RBI's.

The Sycamores will return to action on Monday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla.