FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Amherst College softball team tied the best start in program history by picking up another pair of wins at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, earning a 3-1 victory over Hendrix before coming from behind to defeat Wisconsin-Oshkosh in extra innings, 5-4. 

Now 6-0 on the young season, the Lord Jeffs have tied the 1999 team for best start in school history. The 1999 squad dropped its seventh game, as Amherst will have a chance to set the record when it returns to action on Wednesday.

The Jeffs scored twice in the first inning against Hendrix and never relinquished the lead, thanks to another strong pitching performance by sophomore Arielle Doering. Donna Leet '15 delivered a two-run single in the first and Carolyn Miller '14 added an RBI double in the third for some insurance, as the Jeffs finished with nine hits in Monday's opener. 

Doering improved to 2-0 by striking out five and walking two in seven innings, surrendering only three hits and one unearned run. 

The second game was scoreless until the top of the fifth, when Oshkosh crossed the plate twice after taking advantage of two hits and an Amherst error. The Jeffs responded with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth, but the Titans forced extra innings by tying the score at 4-4 after two batters walked and two were hit by pitches. 

Oshkosh put a runner on third in the top of the eighth inning, but some heads-up defense by catcher Kelsey Ayers '15 kept the score knotted at 4-4. With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Amherst's Reilly Horan '13 began the bottom of the eighth on second base. Miller pushed her over to third with a sacrifice bunt, allowing Horan to come around for the winning run on a wild pitch.  

Horan had two hits along with her game-winning run, while Karina Kossler '15 added two hits and a run of her own. Idalia Friedson '15 went 1-for-3 with a 2-RBI double in the sixth inning.

Theresa Kelley '13 moved to 3-0 after allowing four runs—three earned—on four hits, also striking out seven, walking three and hitting three batters.

HENDRIX BOX SCORE

WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH BOX SCORE