LONGWOOD, FLA. – The University of Pennsylvania softball team (7-5) dropped the final two games of The Spring Games, falling to #12 Florida State (16-6) 8-0 (F/6) in the first game and falling to Cleveland State (6-9) 2-0 in the finale.
 
Quaker Notemeal

• Lucy Yang extended her hitting streak to six games with hits in both games. The six-game hit streak is the longest in her career and longest by a Quaker this season.
• Kayla Ketring tallied multi-hit games in both games. She now has four straight multi-hit games, which is good for the longest streak of her career. Ketring also leads the team with six total in 11 games this year.
• Julia Longo took a perfect game into the sixth inning of the loss against Cleveland State. Longo is now 1-2 with a 2.72 ERA (18.0 IP) this season.
• Clare Sebastianelli finished The Spring Games with another hit, improving to 4-for-10 with three RBI, three runs scored and a walk.

 
How It Happened
Facing one of the toughest opponents in recent history, the Quakers began the day with a battle against the 2018 National Champion Florida State Seminoles. It appeared as if the Quakers would generate early momentum, loading the bases in the first inning off a Kayla Ketring hit and two hit-by-pitches. However, the Seminoles shut down that scoring attempt and the Quakers struggled to generate offensive momentum from there on out.

Pitching enabled the Quakers to stay in the game and provided the Seminoles with a tough task early in the game. Abigail Abramson held the Seminoles largely in check for three innings, but the offense proved to be too dynamic, scoring six runs in the final three innings. The Quakers had several chances to add runs, getting runners on base every inning but one, but the Seminoles came up with big pitches to get out of several jams.

In game two, the Quakers were led early on by a dominant showing from sophomore Julia Longo. Longo held the Vikings in check, taking a perfect game into the sixth inning before it was broken up on an infield single. However, Cleveland State manufactured two runs to give themselves an edge. Lucy Yang attempted a comeback with a triple but was left on base in the sixth inning. Nevertheless, Longo's start remains one of the best by a Quaker this season, allowing just four hits and striking out four over seven innings.
 
What's Next
The Quakers will wrap up play in Florida with a matchup against #7 Florida on Tuesday, March 10 at 2 p.m. The Red and Blue will make the journey from Longwood to Gainesville in the finale before Ivy League play begins.