THE BASICS:

- Scores:

No. 24 MIT 2, SUNY-Potsdam 1
No. 24 MIT 8, Middlebury College 2

- Records: MIT (4-0), SUNY-Potsdam (1-1), Middlebury College (3-3)

- Location: Clermont, Fla. (Legends Way #3)

- The Lead: The No. 24 ranked MIT softball team used a suicide squeeze play to walkoff, 2-1, against SUNY-Potsdam this morning and then put together eight runs and 14 hits to defeat Middlebury College, 8-2, in the second game of the day to improve to a perfect 4-0 this spring. Today marked the first time since the 1994 season and third time in program history that MIT has started a season 4-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Game One vs. SUNY-Potsdam

- Down to the final out in the bottom of the seventh and the score knotted at 1-1, MIT junior Jasmin Joseph (Woodland Hills, Calif.) roped a triple to right field and was brought home in the very next at-bat by senior Natalie Shifflet (Poway, Calif.) as she laid down a well executed suicide squeeze bunt to win the game for the Engineers.

- Both teams scored single runs in the first inning of the contest and it remained that way until the final frame. SUNY-Potsdam got on the board when Day Stevens singled up the middle to bring home Jordan Ott, who reached via a leadoff walk and the moved to second on a bunt single. The Engineers defense halted the inning right there as Stevens was thrown out trying to advance to second on a great relay from Joseph to senior Ali Trueworthy (Rochester, N.H.) and then to freshman Madi Pickett (Santa Barbara, Calif.), who made the tag play.

- The Engineers answered in the bottom of the first when sophomore Ravenne Nasser (Methuen, Mass.) lined an RBI double to left plating Joseph from second. Joseph began the frame with a walk and moved to second on a bunt single by N. Shifflet.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- N. Shifflet paced MIT's offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, which included her game-winning bunt single, while Joseph came across the dish both times for the Engineers.

- MIT sophomore starter Amber VanHemel (Coconut Creek, Fla.) contributed a complete game effort as she punched out a career-high ten batters, scattered four hits, allowed one run (earned) and gave up three walks in her first start (1-0) of the year. VanHemel was extremely effective in the circle as she threw the ball 99 times, 69 of which were strikes. Alissa McCauley (0-1) shouldered the loss in six 2/3 innings in the circle for the Bears yielding ten hits, two runs (both earned), one walk and five strikeouts.

- The Engineers improve to 3-2 all-time against SUNY-Potsdam which dates back to the 2009 season and will look to make it 4-2 when MIT faces off with the Bears once again on Tuesday morning.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Game Two vs. Middlebury College

- MIT used four runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth to earn its fourth straight win in Florida over the Panthers this afternoon. 

- With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, N. Shifflet sent a single up the middle scoring Joseph, sister Monica Shifflet (Poway, Calif.) and freshman Devon Goetz (Rockville, Md.). N Shifflet advanced all the way to third on an overthrown ball by the centerfielder, which also allowed Joseph to score all the way from first after drawing a walk in the previous at-bat. Freshman Sarah Von Ahn (West Linn, Ore.) then reached on a fielding error by the second baseman and as a result N. Shifflet crossed the plate for MIT's fourth run of the frame.

- In almost a duplicate play in the fifth, M. Shifflet lined a single to center, which brought home Goetz and sophomore Erika Anderson (Carlsbad, Calif.) and as a result, M. Shifflet ended up on third on a throwing error by the centerfielder. Two at-bats later, N. Shifflet brought home her sister on an RBI single to left center to make the score 7-0 in favor of the Engineers.

- In the bottom of the fifth, senior Siobhan O'Sullivan broke up Ravenne Nasser's (Methuen, Mass.) no-hit bid with a bloop double down the right field line. In turn, it led to the Panthers' first run of the contest. In the very next inning, O'Sullivan reached on a fielder's choice and as a result of an overthrown ball, Middlebury got its second run of the game in the sixth.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- Nasser pitched her second complete game of the week and improved to 2-0 this afternoon as she scattered just three hits and allowed two unearned runs. The sophomore also struckout eight batters, which is marks a new career-high for her. Middlebury's Allison Quigley (1-2) took the loss in five innings in the circle as she gave up 11 hits, seven runs (three earned) and three walks to go along with three punchouts.

- MIT had five different student-athletes register more than one hit today highlighted by Goetz's 4-for-4 performance. Goetz also drove in a run, while N. Shifflet, who had three hits drove in a game-high three runs. In addition, M. Shifflet and Joseph both contributed a pair of hits to the Engineers' offense.

UP NEXT:

- MIT has a day off tomorrow before returning to the field on Tuesday morning with single games against New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe Wellesley College at 9:00 a.m. and SUNY-Potsdam at 11:30 a.m. in the back end of a doubleheader.

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