WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – On Day One of their season-opening trip to Florida, the Pace University softball team opened 2022 with a pair of victories. The Setters earned a 6-3 win in extra innings over STAC before tallying a 5-4 triumph over Slippery Rock.
 
The Blue and Gold enjoyed a pair of solid pitching outings on Monday. Pace allowed just six earned runs in 16 innings of action.
 
Freshman Gisselle Garcia (Lemon Grove, Calif. /Mater Dei Catholic) started the afternoon with a terrific nine frames against STAC. The right-hander yielded just two earned runs, while tallying six strikeouts and only two walks. 
 
Graduate student Mackenzie Garrick (South River, N.J./South River) followed with a complete-game effort of her own in Game Two. She yielded four earned runs and struck out a pair. 
 
Offensively, senior Brittany Walkingstick (Peculiar, Mo./Desert Ridge / Mesa Community College) led the way. The Missouri native went 3-for-5 with three walks and two runs scored.
 
Sophomore Alexandra Tejeda (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) also impressed with a team-high four RBIs on the day, including a two-run home run in the win over Slippery Rock. 
 
Another standout performance came from junior Arianna Guarracino (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley), who went 3-for-4 with three singles in the first game of the day. 
 
All in all, the Blue and Gold totaled 16 hits and 13 walks in the 16 innings of action. 
 
Up Next
The Setters are right back in action tomorrow morning with a 9 a.m. contest against Shepherd University.