The Hamilton College softball team dropped two non-conference games in Minneola, Fla., on Thursday. The Continentals fell 10-2 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and 9-1 to Lake Forest College in contests shortened to five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Hamilton (2-4 overall) is back on the field in Clermont on Saturday, March 17 with non-conference games against Anderson at 9 a.m. at Hancock Park and Oberlin at 2 p.m. at Legends Way.

Game One: Rensselaer 10, Hamilton 2

After two scoreless innings against Rensselaer (8-4), Ashleah Yzaguirre '19 got things going for the Continentals in the top of the third with a leadoff double down the right field line and stole third base. Caroline Chivily '19 then connected on an RBI single with two outs and advanced to second base on the throw. Kendall Searcy '20 followed with a double to left center to give Hamilton a 2-0 lead.

The Engineers quickly took over with six runs (three unearned) in the bottom half of the third, and they kept Hamilton scoreless while adding four more runs in the fifth. Cam Caswell and Steph Cavallaro led Rensselaer with two hits apiece, and both Caswell and Veronica DeStefano had two runs batted in.

Five different Continentals tallied one hit with Chivily and Searcy driving in one run each. Zoe Singer '18 started the game and gave up three earned runs on six hits and one walk in 2.1 innings pitched. Claire O'Brien '21 allowed two hits and five walks in 2.1 innings.

Game Two: Lake Forest 9, Hamilton 1

Lake Forest (8-2) scored one run in the first inning, six in the third and two in the fourth inning and cruised to its fourth straight win.

The Continentals tied the score at 1-1 in the second inning on an RBI groundout by Jodi Weiss '19. Emily Fraser '20 delivered a one-out double to right center, Helen Lin '19 forced an error by the shortstop and advanced Fraser to third base, and Weiss put the ball in play to allow Fraser to cross the plate.

Weiss got it done with the glove as well with two putouts in right field, including a diving grab at full speed for the second out in the top of the fifth inning. Hamilton's three hits came from Caitlin Berreitter '20, Liz Brautigam '19 and Fraser. Dez DePaulis '19 pitched 2.2 innings, giving up six earned runs and three walks and striking out three batters. Molly Leitner '19 allowed two runs on four hits in 2.1 innings.

Kat Beall went 2-for-2 for the Foresters with two runs batted in and a walk. Maria Zepeda and Riley Frisbie both scored two runs, and Maddie Webb gave up three hits and one unearned run in a complete-game effort.