LEESBURG, Fla. – The Arcadia University softball team wrapped up its spring break trip to Florida Friday morning, downing Clarkson 5-0 to open the day and defeating Amherst 2-1 in eight innings in game two.
 
FOR THE RECORD: The Knights bring an 8-2 record back north. The Golden Knights of Clarkson sit at 3-3 on the season, including a win over Trinity (Conn.) later in the day. Amherst fell to 6-4 on the year, including a loss to Wisconsin-Oshkosh today.
 
ARCADIA 5, CLARKSON 0
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Knights scored a run in each of the first two innings, with the first coming when sophomore Jackie Bilotti crossed the plate on a failed pickoff attempt in the first inning. In the top of the first, junior Marissa Mancinelli scored sophomore Kayla Resh from second with a two-out single to right. Resh led off the inning with a walk before stealing second.
 
Mancinelli plated another run with two outs in the top of the fourth, scoring freshman Tori Zangrilli with a single to left field. Zangrilli singled to left center to open the frame, before advancing to second on a passed ball and to third when classmate Bekah Good reached on an error by the shortstop.
 
The top of the seventh saw two more runs score for Arcadia. After junior Kaylee Zarick led the inning off with a single to left, she moved to second on a Mancinelli sacrifice bunt before scoring on a single up the middle from Bilotti. Three batters later, with Bilotti on second courtesy of a steal and junior Nicole Iasiello on first following a walk, freshman Mary Pat Murray sent an 0-1 pitch to center for an RBI single that scored Bilotti.
 
ARCADIA AT THE PLATE: Mancinelli went 2-2 in the game, while driving in two runs. Bilotti went 2-4 in the contest, driving in a run and scoring two more. Murray, Zangrilli and Zarick each recorded one base knock.
 
CLARKSON AT THE PLATE: Jamie Bridge and Erika Jensen each went 2-4 to lead the Golden Knights.
 
IN THE CIRCLE: Resh (1-1) picked up the win throwing four innings of shutout ball, allowing four hits and striking out one. Murray picked up her first career save, throwing three innings in relief, allowing four hits and striking out one. Bridge threw all seven innings for Clarkson, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts.
 
ARCADIA 2, AMHERST 1 (8 INNINGS)
HOW IT HAPPENED: Arcadia struck first again, when Murray plated sophomore Kristin Cancelliere with a two-out single to center. Cancelliere reached on an error by the center fielder in the second at-bat of the game, advancing to second on the play. That would be only run scored until the top of the sixth, when Alena Marovitz plated Lauren Tuiskula when she reached on an error by the right fielder.
 
Following a scoreless seventh, the game went to extras with Julia Turner beginning the top of the eighth on second, courtesy of the international tiebreak rule. Turner wouldn't leave second as each of the three Amherst batters flied out. Freshman Kylee Schwind served as the Knights' lead runner to start the bottom of the frame. After Zarick led off with a walk, Bilotti moved Schwind to third by reaching on a fielder's choice. Two batters later, Iasiello reached on an error by the left fielder allowing Schwind to score the game-winning run.
 
ARCADIA AT THE PLATE: Murray's RBI single in the first was Arcadia's lone hit of the game.
 
AMHERST AT THE PLATE: Tuiskula, Andrea Sanders and Ally Kido each registered a hit for Amherst.
 
IN THE CIRCLE: Schwind (4-1) picked up the win for Arcadia, tossing eight innings, allowing one, unearned run on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Gina Pagan (3-2) took the loss, allowing two unearned runs on one hit with three walks and 16 strikeouts.