CLERMONT, Fla. -- Houghton softball swept two games on Friday before dropping their final game in Florida on Saturday morning.

On Friday, Houghton opened the day with a 7-2 win over Elizabethtown (Pa.) and then got a big 10-3 extra inning victory over Cornell (Iowa) to register their third-straight win. The Highlanders lost to St. Mary's (MInn.) 7-3 on Saturday to wrap up their opening week with a record of 4-5.

Friday Game 1 vs. Elizabethtown (Pa.)
Against Elizabethtown the Highlanders registered 13 hits. They opened the scoring in the second inning before allowing the tying run in the top of the fourth. But it was the fifth inning when the Houghton bats came alive and they gained control. Lydia Peterson opened the inning with a single and quickly stole second to get into scoring position. Grace Thompson followed with another single that scored Peterson, before Hannah Haskell singled and Alisabeth Crandall reached on a fielder's choice. Carlee Miller then singled home both Thompson and Haskell to put the Highlanders up 4-1. Elise Swanson capped the scoring with a sac fly to left that scored Crandall.

Houghton added two more runs in the sixth, while the Blue Jays scored the final run of the contest in the top of the seventh.

Thompson had three hits, while Miller finished 2 for 3 with three RBI. Haskell, Crandall, Swanson and Barb Richert had two hits apiece.

Kayla Loomis got the win, going 3.2 innings, allowing six hits and one earned run. Crandall pitched 3.1, allowing one run on one hit.

Friday Game 2 vs. Cornell (Iowa)
The scoring came late in this contest as neither team would score over the first three innings. The Highlanders got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth. but Cornell would tie it in the bottom half of the fifth. Houghton pulled head 2-1 in the top of the sixth, but gave up two more runs in the bottom half of the inning to fall behind 3-2. Down to their last three outs, Houghton responded. Haskell opened the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Miller walked (Rachel Scharf pinch ran for MIller), Elise Swanson loaded the bases with a single to left. Barb Richert hit a grounder to third, but a quick throw to home forced Haskell out at the plate. 

Kristin Keller followed with a shot up the middle that was mishandled by the second baseman. The error scored Scharf from third and tied the game at 3-3. Hannah Chorey grounded out to 3B to end the top half of the inning. The Blue Jays threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting a runner to third with two outs, but the Highlanders escaped on a ground out to pitcher Kayla Loomis.

Despite the use of the international tiebreaker rule that placed a runner on second base, neither team threatened to score in their respective halves of the eighth inning.

But the flood gates opened for the Highlanders in the top of the ninth. After Crandall was placed on second to start the inning, Houghton got four straight singles, a walk, and three more singles that scored six runs and gave the Highlanders a commanding 9-3 lead with no outs. Crandall went down swinging for the first out of the inning before Miller finished the onslaught with a grand slam that scored Haskell, Thompson and Peterson.

Loomis shut down the Blue Jays with a 1-2-3 inning to end the game.

MIller had the big day at the plate, going 3 for 4 with three runs and four RBI on a double and a homer. Richert produced a 4 for 5 showing with a run and two RBI. Thompson and Swanson each had two hits. Loomis pitched all nine innings, allowing thee runs on seven hits, while striking out six and walking none.

Saturday vs. St. Mary's (Minn.)
Houghton's three-game win streak came to and end with a 7-3 loss to St. Mary's. The Highlanders opened the scoring in the top of the first, fell behind 2-1 after two innings, before tying the score with another run in the third. However, the Cardinals regained the lead in the bottom of the third and added three insurance runs over the next two innings to go up 6-3 in the fifth. Each team scored a run in the sixth to end the scoring.

The Highlanders had just four hits in the contest with Thompson registering two. Peterson, Thompson and Richert scored the Houghton runs.

Loomis went the distance, allowing seven runs on 12 hits. She struck out three and walked two.

Houghton (4-5) returns to action when they travel to Wells for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 12.