CLERMONT, Fla.—The Wartburg softball team moved to 5-1 on the early season as it defeated Alvernia 16-2 in five innings and Monmouth, 9-2.

Against Alvernia, the Knights batted around in the first and tallied four runs on as many hits. The Wolves plated one in the first and second to the margin to two at 4-2.
The Orange and Black erupted for five runs in the third and fourth innings. Senior Kailee O'Brien (Altoona) had a two-run single in the third and classmate Marissa Goedken (Iowa City) had a two-run home run in the fourth, to make it 14-2.

Senior Brenna Gray (Waterloo) extended the lead in the fifth on her two-run single. Alvernia was unable to score in its last at-bat, to seal the run-rule win for Wartburg.

O'Brien and Gray each had three hits in the game. Gray also earned the win in the circle as she pitched five complete innings and struck out five.

Against the Fighting Scots, the Knights took the early lead again with two runs in the first. Monmouth sliced the margin in half with an RBI double in the second.
O'Brien drove in junior Emily Smillie (Parker, Colo.) with her single to left to push the score to 3-1.

The Orange and Black used a three-run fourth inning to make the score 6-1. Of note, O'Brien stole home as she and freshman Sydney Illg (Grimes) who was on first, successfully executed a double steal.

Freshman Jenna Levine (DeKalb, Ill.) drove in the final two runs in the sixth on her double. Senior Liz Roby-Miklus (Ankeny) had a team-best three hits.  Sophomore Maddie Rog (Norridge, Ill.) picked up her third win of the season in 5.1 innings of work with two strikeouts.

Roby-Miklus continues to close the gap for the career leader in stolen bases as she currently has 74, and needs three to tie the record.

Wartburg returns to the field tomorrow.