Ocelots Begin Season With Solid Play in Myrtle Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Schoolcraft Ocelots softball team opened their 2024 campaign in the sunny state of South Carolina last week. Down in the Palmetto State, the Ocelots squared off against 9 different teams, racking up a total of 10 games, including 4 games against Region XII teams.
Day 1 would wind up with a 1-1 result for Schoolcraft. The Ocelots would find themselves on both ends of a 1 run game by coming out on top over Olney Central College by a score of 8-7 and falling to Kaskaskia College by a score of 6-5. Freshman, Sydney Scoggins, would lead the team with 3 hits on the day. Shannon Mosesso would get the win in the circle against Olney Central by going all 8 innings and only giving up 3 earned runs.
Day 2 would see the same 1-1 result. The day would start with a big 10-4 win over regional foe, Glen Oaks Community College, before getting blanked 4-0 by Kankakee Community College. The Ocelots would combine for 22 hits on the day, including 17 in game 1 against Glen Oaks. Mariah Rodriguez would get the win on the mound by going all 7 innings while giving up 2 earned runs.
Like the previous 2 days, the Ocelots would split their doubleheader once again. Facing Glen Oaks again in the 1st game, the results would be flipped as the Vikings would come out on top by a score of 5-3. Errors would prove to be costly for the Ocelots as sophomore Alexa Swiatkowski would pitch 6 innings while only giving up 1 earned run. Freshman, Sydney Scoggins and Hailey McCleary, would each have 2 hits a piece to pace the Ocelot offense. Schoolcraft wouldn't stay on the losing side for long. Once again facing a conference opponent, Delta College, the Ocelots would get back in the win column with a 10-9 win. 14 hits, led by Sarah Collins with 3, would allow the Ocelots to overcome another 6 errors in the game.
A rainout on Wednesday led the Ocelots into another doubleheader on Thursday, looking to break their .500 record. Squaring off against Patrick & Henry College and Lincoln Trail College, Schoolcraft would find themselves with the same results, a 1-1 record. A total of 17 hits in game 1 would lead Schoolcraft to a 12-5 win over Patrick & Henry. However, only tallying 2 hits in the next game would kick Schoolcraft back to their .500 record of 4-4.
With just 2 games left in the sunny Myrtle Beach, the Ocelots had Ancilla, a MCCAA opponent, and USC Sumpter as their last 2 games. The bats would come out hot again in game 1. With another double digit hit performance, 13 total, the 5 runs scored in the bottom of the 6th inning would push the Ocelots to a 13-8 win over Ancilla. Macy Collett would collect 3 hits at the top of the order while also registering 3 stolen bases. Sitting now at 5-4, and really wanting to come back over .500, Raina Bonus would deliver in the circle. Going all 7 innings and allowing only 2 earned runs, it would allow the 6 Ocelot runs to be enough to come out on top. Collett and Olivia Mikowski would combine for 4 out of the 7 Schoolcraft hits at the top 2 spots in the order. With a final score of 6-3, Schoolcraft would leave the Palmetto State with a 6-4 record.
The 6-4 record would be the best record the Ocelots have had in Myrtle Beach since 2019 when Schoolcraft went 6-3. The Michigan slate begins next Tuesday, March 19, as the host the Monarchs from Macomb Community College to kick off MCCAA play.