MELBOURNE, FLORIDA—The pitching and defense rose to the occasion when the Central College softball team needed it most in a pair of nail-biting wins Thursday.
           
Central (13-1) completes its trip to Florida with a 10-0 mark after Hamilton University (N.Y.) 4-3 and the University of Massachusetts – Boston 5-3.
           
Hamilton (2-5) outhit Central by a 9-4 margin but the Dutch took advantage of three errors by the Continentals. In the bottom of the second, Jackie Sledden's (freshman, Yorkville, Ill.) hit a pinch-hit single with the bases loaded that scored three courtesy of an error by the center fielder.
           
Hannah Higgins (senior, Macomb, Ill.) helped earn an insurance run after reaching first base via error in the bottom of third and forcing a rundown to allow Larissa Miller (junior, Ankeny) to score from third.
           
Jadyn Huisman (sophomore, Treynor) started in the circle and went five innings, allowing two runs to score on six hits and a walk. After a brief appearance by Ella Morse (freshman, Tucson, Ariz., Sabino HS), Peyton Levine (freshman, Oswego, Ill., Yorkville HS) recorded her first save of the season by recording the final six outs.
           
In the second game, Central jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind the strength of a three-run second inning. Miller, Sarah Stufflebeam (junior, Macomb, Ill.) and Higgins had back-to-back-to-back RBI plate appearances.
           
Consecutive doubles in the fourth by the Beacons narrowed the lead to 4-3. An Addi Starr (sophomore, Ankeny, Centennial HS) double was followed by an RBI single Ali Henry (sophomore, Osceola, Clarke HS) to push the lead to a 5-3, the game's final margin
           
Levine started and went 3.1 innings, scattering seven hits and striking out four batters. Morse got the win in 3.2 innings of relief, striking out two and allowing just two hits and one walk.
           
Central hosts Millikin University (Ill.) at 1 p.m. Sunday.