Monmouth College

Softball Ends Florida Trip With Two Losses

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/13/2026) — The Monmouth College softball team finished their Florida trip with a pair of 10-0 losses on Thursday. The Fighting Scots (3-9) lost to Franciscan in six innings and fell to Lakeland in five.

GAME ONE

Franciscan took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first against Addie Greene (Rushville, Illinois) with a double, triple and groundout.

The Scots came back with three straight singles in the bottom of the inning. Ella Cunningham (Dunlap, Illinois), Savannah Powers (Volo, Illinois) and Maddie Hepner (Alexis, Illinois) each singled. However, Cunningham was tagged out on the bases and after Mackenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) walked, Monmouth left the bases loaded.

The Barons added a run off two errors in the second and plated two more in the third with a double. Down 5-0, the Scots got singles from Powers and Hepner but again lost a runner on the bases.

Leading 6-0, Franciscan finished the game in the sixth. A triple, wild pitch and single led to a run before Kayleigh Cobb (Pawnee, Illinois) took over in the circle. Three singles made it 10-0 before a strikeout ended the inning,

The Scots again put runners on base in the last of the sixth, needing three runs to extend the game. Gerard led off with a single and walks to Elizabeth Waymire (Havana, Illinois) and Ariel Martinez (Galesburg, Illinois) loaded the bases. However, a line drive double play and a ground out ended the game.

Greene (0-3) took the loss, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits over five innings as she walked four and struck out one. Cobb allowed one run on three hits with a strikeout in one inning.

GAME TWO

Lakeland scored five in the firsts against Monmouth starter Elizabeth Durfee (Arlington, Washington). Three straight singles loaded the bases and after the Scots got an out at the plate, Lakeland made it 2-0 on a double. An error plated another run and two more singles made it 5-0.

They kept the bats going in the second. After an error started the inning, a triple, single and double made it 8-0. Another run came home after a second error and a single.

Waymire led off the Monmouth third by reaching on an error and she moved to third on a wild pitch as Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois) walked. Ashby stole second as Cunningham walked but the Scots left the bases loaded.

Down 10-0, Monmouth picked up their first hit when Hepner singled with two outs in the fourth. A strikeout ended the inning.

Durfee (1-2) took the loss as she allowed 10 runs, six earned, on 13 hits over four innings of work.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Powers and Hepner both had two hits in game oneHepner has six multi-hit games on the season and Powers has four ... Ashby moved into a tie with Judy Vance for seventh place on the Monmouth career stolen base list with 23 ... Hepner had Monmouth's only hit in game two ... The Scots are 2-1 all-time against Franciscan and the teams had not met since 2014 ... Monmouth is 3-5 all-time against Lakeland including a 2024 loss and a 2022 win in Florida ... The Scots went 2-6 in Florida ... Hepner led the team with 11 hits on the trip while Ashby had 10 and Powers added nine ... Ashby and Graci Guenther (Pekin, Illinois) scored four runs in Florida while Ashby and Powers both drove in five ,,,Powers had three extra-base hits with a homer and two doubles ... Lydia Overcash (Farmington, Illinois) led the team with 14 innings pitched while Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa) struck out nine batters ... Durfee threw two complete games ... The Scots are next in action for the home opener, a DH against Loras at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.