MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Kaitlyn Schofield earned her third victory in the circle and Chylece Cluck collected ten assists on the day enabling the University of St. Francis softball team to claim a split decision on its first day of action at the Space Coast Spring Break Games in Melbourne, Fla. on Sunday.  The Fighting Saints opened with a 7-1 win over previously-unbeaten and No. 6-ranked Madonna University (Mich.) before dropping a 3-0 decision to Avila University (Mo.).

Schofield went the distance against a Madonna team that had come into the contest with a perfect 13-0 record to start the season.

Schofield and Jaelynn Taylor, Morgan Smardo and Isabella Landeros all collected two hits in the opener and joined Kylie Cook in providing multiple hits on the day.

Game 1: USF 7, Madonna 1
The Saints (7-4) scored six of their seven runs with less than two outs, including their first three runs in the fourth inning to open up a 3-0 lead before a sacrifice fly followed by a mishandled throw from MU's catcher in the same frame resulted in an additional run to cross the plate marking the score at 5-0 by the end of the stanza.  USF accounted for its other two runs in the fifth and sixth innings, plating single runs in each frame.

Schofield (2-for-3) drove in runs in two of the three innings in which St. Francis scored.  She brought home the third run of the contest on a single to centerfield before supplying another with a single in the fifth inning.  Landeros (2-for-3) and Sarah Viar (1-for-3) were also credited with one RBI apiece in the fourth, with Landeros' resulting from a single up the middle and Viar's coming off the sacrifice fly.

Emily Hurst accounted for USF's other RBI with a fielder's choice in the sixth inning, while Juliana Anderson scored off an errant throw from MU's second baseman as part of St. Francis' five-run fourth.

Schofield (3-2) never became flustered throughout the duration of the contest after coaxing the Crusaders in leaving eight total runners on base.  Madonna (13-1) had a runner at third base with only one out in the fourth, but the junior was able to get a lineout followed by a groundout to end that threat.

Two innings later, the Crusaders had another runner in scoring position with two outs and one run already in.  Schofield was able to get a flyout to centerfield to squash that rally.  She finished the contest scattering nine singles, walking one batter against three strikeouts and inducing 13 groundball outs.  Of those 13 groundball outs, nine assists were credited to Cluck who put on a defensive clinic from the shortstop position.  Cluck also was a part of two additional outs – including a fantastic line drive catch in the third – resulting in the senior accounting for 11 of the team's 21 defensive outs in the game.

Game 2:  Avila 3, USF 0
After scoring in the second inning to open an early 1-0 lead, the Eagles (11-10) would tack on two insurance runs in the third and fifth frames fueled by four hits and one free pass.

Taylor and Cook were the only Saints to register a hit off Avila's McKayla Cotton, who went the distance to improve to 6-1.  She struck out two against one walk and two hit batsmen in the contest.

Taylor's hit came with two outs in the fourth inning and was one of only three frames in which the Saints put a runner into scoring position.  The other chances at scoring – the first and sixth innings – ended on a deep flyout to centerfield in the first and a hard line drive out to left in the sixth after Cook connected for a single to start off the latter frame.  In total, the Saints left six runners stranded on base in the contest.

Avila's offense was led by Madison Kelly, who authored three hits and two RBIs.

Up Next
The Saints will take the field again on Monday (March 9), facing Bellevue University (Neb.) at 1:30 and Montreat College (N.C.) at 3:45 pm CST.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.