ORLANDO – The University of Pennsylvania softball team closed out its 2023 spring break trip at the UCF Tournament on Friday afternoon. The Quakers were unable to hold on to leads in both games as they continue to search for their first win of the season.

FINAL: North Dakota 12, Penn 9
The Quakers loaded the bases in both the first and second inning and did not score. After loading the bases in the top of the first the Quakers grounded into a double play to end the top of the first inning. The top of the second looked eerily similar to the inning before as Penn squandered another bases loaded chance.

The Fighting Hawks opened the bottom of the first with a walk and a hit by pitch to put runners on first and second before a two-RBI double opened the scoring. After a strikeout for the first out, North Dakota's fifth hitter sent a ball over the centerfield wall to double its lead, 4-0. With two outs, a Fighting Hawks' RBI single to left extended the designated home teams lead to five runs.

Rachel Riley rebounded to shut out the Fighting Hawks over the next four innings as the Quakers used a six run third and another run in the fifth to take a 7-5 lead.

In the top of the third, Penn loaded the bases on back-to-back base hits down the left and right field lines and a walk to Delaney Smith. The Quakers then used back-to-back base hits from Julia Mortimer and Danica Larwill to cut the deficit to 5-2. After a strikeout, Brianna Brown sent a base hit through the ride side that scored Mortimer and Smith to make it 5-4 in favor of North Dakota. Sarah Schneider hit a two-RBI double that scored Brown and Larwill and put the Quakers on top 6-5.

Penn added another run in the top of the fifth to take a 7-5 lead. With one-out, Alyssa Pope came in to pinch hit and sent a double to center. Brown followed with a successful bunt that put Quakers on the corners. On the next pitch, Penn pulled off the double steal as Pope slid through past the tag at home.

North Dakota retook the lead with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning before the first out was made. The Fighting Hawks tied the game as they capitalized on a throwing error and scored two runs. After UND retook the lead on a two-RBI base hit, Kelly Zybura came on in relief, following a double, North Dakota's Madison Pede hit a three-run home run to give her team a 12-7 lead. After the homer, Zybura settled down to retire the next three batters to end the sixth inning.

Schneider gave the Quakers a little hope in the top of the seventh as she hit a two-run shot over the right field wall, her first of the season to make it 12-9. That was all Penn could muster up as a fly out to left ended the game.

FINAL: Toledo 3, Penn 1

Schneider opened the second game of the day with a double to right center and advance to third on a ground out from Madison Bauerle. Sammy Fenton reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second as Schneider was caught in a run down but barely beat the tag as she got back to third safely. Dana Anderson walked and gave the Quakers another first inning bases loaded situation. This time they put a run on the board as Smith hit a SAC fly to right that scored Schneider from third for a 1-0 lead over Toledo.

Zybura made the start in game two and stranded a lead off single that saw the runner advance to third on a pair of stolen bases. She also stranded an infield single in the bottom of the second to keep the score 1-0 in favor of the Quakers.

After the Rockets took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third, Penn had just two innings with a base runner as Anderson opened the fourth with a walk and then was erased on a fielder's choice by Smith. Smith was then caught stealing for the second out. Penn then stranded a two-out walk by Mortimer as Toledo ended the half inning with a fly out to right. Schneider was stranded in the top of the fifth as she hit a two-out double to left.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Toledo took a 3-1 lead with an RBI base hit up the middle but the Quakers were able to get the final out on a successful run down.

Penn went down in order in the final two innings to end the game.   

QUAKER NOTEMEAL

• Sarah Schneider hit her first home run of the season; her 14th career homer run. She is now the sixth Quaker to hit a homer this season.  
• Kelly Zybura allowed no walks for the second time this season and the third time for the Quakers. She previously allowed no walks in Penn's loss to Winthrop. Bella Fiorentino opened the season with no walks in the season opener against James Madison. 
• Schneider had four RBI and led the Quakers with three hits in the loss to North Dakota. On the day, she went a combined, 5-for-8 with four RBI and two runs scored.
• Brianna Brown stole a pair of bases against North Dakota to bring her season total to a team leading five as she is 100% in that department. Alyssa Pope also recorded her second stolen base of the season as she and Brown teamed up for a double steal that saw her score.  

UP NEXT
The Red and Blue return home for their home opener on Tuesday against Delaware State with a scheduled 3 p.m. first pitch.

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