MOBILE, Ala.  – The University of West Florida softball team split its doubleheader with Spring Hill College Wednesday afternoon. The Argonauts (11-24, 5-15 GSC) defeated the Badgers in game one 4-2, but fell in game two 6-4.
 
"We did a better job against their pitcher today than we did when we first played them in Pensacola," said head coach Melissa Paul. "We were able to come out and get ahead in game one, but couldn't couldn't close the door in game two."
 
Game 1: West Florida 4, Spring Hill 2
 
Spring Hill got on the board first after picking up a run in the first inning, but West Florida responded with a run of their own in the second inning after junior Emily Pettigrew (Navarre, Fla./Pensacola State College) hit an RBI single to tie the score. SHC scored another run in the bottom of the second to take back the lead, but UWF scored two runs after freshman Meghan Toney (Huntsville, Ala./Madison County HS) tripled with two runners on.
 
The Argos added another run in the fifth inning when Kaylen Rowell (Pensacola, Fla./Tate HS) hit a leadoff homerun. After allowing runs in the first and second inning, pitcher Becca Taylor (Panama City, Fla./Rutherford HS) settled in the circle and pitched five scoreless innings to earn the victory. Taylor went all seven innings and gave up seven hits and only one earned run while adding three strikeouts.
 
Only four Argos registered a hit in the game but Pettigrew, Rowell, and Toney each had multiple hits in the game. Toney finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI and a triple while Rowell and Pettigrew each went 2-for-4 with Rowell adding a solo homerun.
 
Game 2: West Florida 4, Spring Hill 6
 
Spring Hill broke the scoreless tie first once again, this time in the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead. The Argos answered back in the top of the third inning by scoring three runs after Pettigrew drove in two runs from a triple to leftfield and later came in to score.
 
However, the Badgers would respond in the bottom half of the inning by scoring five runs to take a 6-3 lead. UWF added a run in the fourth inning when Bianca Lopez (Stuttgart, Germany/Patch American HS) recorded an RBI. But that would be the last run the Argos would be able to score after the NCAA Division II strikeout leader Caroline Sagrera shutout UWF for the next three innings.
 
The Argos were led by Pettigrew who went 1-for-4 in the game with a triple and two RBI. Senior Alex Marionakis (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach HS) was the only Argo to record multiple hits after going 2-for-3.
 
West Florida will resume Gulf South Conference play this weekend when they host Mississippi College on April 3-4 for a three game series.
 
For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.