YORK, PA – The York College softball team remained red hot with a trio of wins on a sunny Thursday afternoon in Kissimmee, Florida. The Spartans downed Widener 5-3, RIT 6-0 and outslugged Ferrum 9-7 to complete the rare triple-header sweep. The Spartans are now 8-0 with four games remaining on their Florida swing.

In game one, the Spartans found themselves down to the Pride after the first inning. Widener got a pair of runs off sophomore starter Megan Matos (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) as the first-year Spartan displayed some jitters early on.

York picked up their starter with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Widener responded with a run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead. That advantage would be short lived as Megan Van Meter (Hanover, Md./Archbishop Spalding) jacked a two-run bomb in the top of the third to give York a lead they would not relinquish.

Spartan ace Brittany Therres (Hughesville, Md./Thomas Stone) relieved Matos in the bottom of the fourth and shut down the Pride offense in her four innings of work.

York got a key insurance run in the top of the seventh courtesy of a Heather Bormann (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) RBI double.

Therres earned the win as tossed four scoreless innings, allowing one run and striking out one. She uncharacteristically struggled with control as she walked three in her four innings. Matos tossed three innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

Kim Dougherty took the loss for Widener as she allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

Van Meter led the Spartan offense as she was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Hannah Hugel (Paoli, Pa./Conestoga) was 2-for-4 with a run scored while Bormann and Michelle Barwick (Cockeysville, Md./Dulaney) each had a hit and an RBI.

Shelby Mackintosh led the Pride offense with two hits and an RBI. Dougherty was 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Game two against RIT, Bormann's first inning sacrifice fly scored Hugel and gave the Spartans the early 1-0 lead. York then tacked on a five-run fourth inning that broke the close game open. Kristen Gray (Mickelton, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and Meghan Boyer (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna) each had two-run singles in the frame while Julie Norris (Frederick, Md./Frederick) contributed an RBI single.

Therres went the distance again as the sophomore posted her third shutout of the year, allowing six hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Brittany Kemp took the loss for the Tigers as she surrendered six runs on seven hits in four innings of work. She struck out one and walked another in the loss.

Seven Spartans each had a hit in the game as Boyer went 1-for-1 with a pair of RBI while Gray was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Bormann was 1-for-2 with a ribbie and run scored while Norris was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

Shannon McCormick paced RIT with two hits in three plate appearances.

The nightcap was a wild offensive show, far different than the Spartans' 3-2 extra inning win over the Panthers on Tuesday.

York jumped out to a 4-0 lead through three innings as the Green and White plated two runs in the second and two more in the third. The Spartans pushed the lead to 7-0 in the top of the fourth as they looked like they were on the brink of blowing out the Panthers. Ferrum responded with a huge bottom of the fourth as they scored five runs including a three run homer from Kashina Hancock which capped the five run outburst.

The Spartans answered with a single run in the top of the fifth on a Kelly Smith (Riverdale, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) RBI single as the York lead stood at 8-5.

Ferrum trimmed the Spartan advantage to 8-7 in the bottom of the inning with two runs aided by a key York error.

After a quiet sixth inning, York received a Hugel RBI single to push the lead back to two at 9-7. The Panthers got two runners on base in the seventh with one out but Therres coaxed a pop out and a fly out to end the game and preserve the Spartans' perfect start.

Therres improved to 7-0 with the win. She allowed a season-high 11 hits and five runs in her 5.2 innings of work. She walked two and struck out one as she has thrown all but 10.1 innings of the Spartan season so far. Matos threw 1.1 innings and allowed a pair of unearned runs with a walk and no hits in her appearance.

Kaitlyn Culler took the loss as she allowed seven runs, five earned, on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Smith had a huge game, as the junior was 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Bormann was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Hugel contributed two hits and a pair of RBI. Norris was the fourth Spartan with multiple hits as she was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Hancock led Ferrum as she was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Heather Littles was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Whitney Womack had a hit with two RBI.

The Spartans return to action with another double header on Friday morning in Kissimmee as they play St. Benedict at 9:00 am followed by an 11:00 am contest against Beloit.

PHOTO: Junior captain Kelly Smith had five hits in three games for the Spartans on Thursday.