LEESBURG (Fl.) – The Delaware Valley University softball team opened its 2020 campaign at The Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida, but dropped a pair of contests to Wheaton College (Ill.), 8-1, and Swarthmore College, 10-2.

Sophomore Olivia Monismith got the ball to start in the season opener, but the Thunder (1-0) got to her early for three runs in the first inning. Two batters walked, and all three runs scored via wild pitches, but Monismith struck out three batters to get out of the inning.

Wheaton again needed just one hit to score two runs in the second inning and extend its lead to 5-0. Claire Busch had an RBI single with the bases loaded.

DelVal got its first hit of the campaign in the bottom of the third off the bat of freshman Megan Torrey. She moved up to second after a wild pitch, and sophomore Adina Brucie drove her in with a well-executed slap double over the shortstops head to make it 5-1. Brucie advanced to third on a wild pitch and Jessica Stewart worked a walk, but both were stranded at the end of the frame to end the threat.

The Aggies had just two baserunners the rest of the way and the Thunder added three more runs including one more batted in by Busch in the top of the sixth as she doubled left center to score Emilie Gist.

Torrey finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, Brucie had a hit and an RBI, and Stewart got aboard twice with walks. Monismith went the distance in the circle and had seven strikeouts, but walked four batters and hit three more. She surrendered eight runs, four earned, as the Aggies committed four errors behind her.

Busch led Wheaton with two hits and three RBI, and leadoff hitter Janette Oh also had two base knocks and came around to score twice. Emilie Gist pitched all seven frames and allowed just one earned run on three hits with 14 strikeouts and three walks.