CLINTON, SC – Senior Erin Hunt threw a one-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over Bellarmine to help the Toledo softball team earn a split in its final day of competition at the Pinnacle Blue Hose Invitational in Clinton, SC on Saturday. The Rockets fell to Presbyterian College 3-2 in the afternoon finale.
 
Hunt had a perfect game going until she hit a batter with one out in the fifth inning. Bellarmine broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single in the seventh inning. Hunt struck out 12 batters to earn her 11^th career shutout. She now has 499 career strikeouts, the second-most in Toledo history behind Tami Johnston, who had 842 in her career from 1984-87.

Hunt's pitching gem was supported by Jenna Kroll, who hit a solo homer in the top of the second, her second long ball in three games and 13th of her career. The Rockets held the one-run lead until Lexi Eckman doubled the lead with an RBI single in the sixth. The Knights put two runners on in the seventh inning but Hunt got the final two batters out to seal her first win since the end of the 2021 season. The victory was the second in two days over the Knights, following a 6-5 Rocket win on Friday.

In the second game of the day, Toledo and Presbyterian were tied 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth when PC scored off a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. The Rockets had runners at second and third with two outs in the top of the seventh, but could not drive the runners home.

Madison McKay made her first start in the circle vs. Presbyterian,  giving up two runs in 3.0 innings. Sophia Knight took the loss, giving up one run in three innings of relief.

"I am incredibly proud of how we showed up today," head coach Jessica Bracamonte said." Our plan at the plate and in the circle was to attack and that's exactly what we did. Erin threw lights out in game one and Maddie McKay and Sophia did a great job keeping the hitters off balance in game two."

"It was fun to see the bats come alive, totaling 17 hits on the day," Bracamonte added. "With a few more timely hits and minor adjustments at the plate, we give ourselves a better chance to walk away with a better outcome. It was another great team effort top to bottom. We are looking forward to a few days of practice to touch on some things from the weekend, and get back out on the field next weekend to compete some more."

Toledo (2-2) will be back in action next weekend, playing five games in Youngsville, La., at Louisiana Tech's Mardi Gas Mambo on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 17-19.

Game 1 – Toledo 2, Bellarmine 0

• Jenna Kroll sent the ball out of the park to put Toledo on top 1-0 at the top of the second.
• Hunt sent down 13 consecutive batters until hitting Alvarez with one out in the fifth inning. Hunt got out of the inning when Alvarez was doubled off first on a line-drive to Kroll at third base.
• Lexi Eckman hit an RBI single to extend the Rockets' lead to 2-0 in the sixth inning.
• Bellarmine broke up Hunt's bid for a no-hitter with a single with one out in the seventh inning that out two runners on. But Hunt finished it off, getting the next two batters on a pop up and a fly out.

Game 2 – Presbyterian 3, Toledo 2

• Toledo got on the board in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Anna Dixon that scored pinch-runner Madison Mikulski.
• Presbyterian answered in the bottom of the second with a solo homer by Kendall Owens to tie the game at 1-1.
• Macey Moore hit an RBI single to put Toledo back in the lead, 2-1 in the third.
• Lath Freeman hit an RBI single to bring around the tying run for PC in the bottom of the third.
• PC took a 3-2 lead run off a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
• Toledo got back-to-back singles with one out in the top of the seventh but failed to drive home the tying run.