Ludwig's No-Hitter Leads Cougars to Game 1 Victory; Softball Falls in Extras in Game 2

(Viera, FL)-- The Cleary Cougar softball team played their final games of their spring break trip Friday, and both games were action packed with plenty of drama, as the team went 1-1 on the day.

In Game 1 vs. Hannibal-LaGrange: Haley Ludwig got out of an early first inning jam, and back to back RBI singles from Summer Smith and Brooke Williams would give Cleary a 2-0 lead after one inning of play.  After an Allie Hawkins walk, Olivia DeJohn would hit a rare infield double to score Hawkins, and gave the Cougars a 3-0 advantage.  Later in the inning, DeJohn would score on a wild pitch, to make it 4-0, and after a throwing error by the Trojans, Cleary took a 5-0 lead.  The final run of the rally would come on an RBI groundout from Carley Kalbfleisch, to give Cleary a 6-0 lead.
That lead would be all Haley Ludwig needed, as the senior struck out two of the three batters faced as part of a complete game no-hitter.  

Haley Ludwig allowed 0 hits while striking out 8 batters, and walking 3 in the game.  

Brooke Williams would go 2/2 at the plate, while Allie Hawkins, Olivia DeJohn, Summer Smith, Mckenzie Latshaw, and Sierra Diegel each had one hit for the Cougars.

In Game 2 vs. Clarke: An Allie Hawkins suicide squeeze that scored Paulina O'Donohue in the third inning would give Cleary a 1-0 lead.  The rally would continue later in the inning, as Olivia DeJohn singled through the right side of the infield to score Grace Polega, and making it 2-0.  Clarke would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, and after neither team would find the breakthrough, the game would go to extra innings.  Mckenzie Latshaw would give Cleary a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning on a suicide squeeze that scored Olivia DeJohn, but the Pride would answer in the bottom half of the eighth, forcing a ninth inning of play.  The Cougars would be held scoreless, allowing Clarke to score the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.

Kami Linton would suffer the loss, allowing 4 runs on 12 hits in 8.1 innings.  Brooke Williams and Paulina O'Donohue each had 2 hits at the plate in the game.

Cleary is now 4-9 on the season, and will next be in action next Sunday, March 15, when they travel to Rochester to take on the NCAA D1 Oakland University Golden Grizzlies.