CLERMONT, Fla. – Mount Union's softball team scored a win then pushed a nationally ranked team to extra innings in a third straight split Tuesday at The Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.

Mount Union (3-3) defeated St. John Fisher (N.Y.), 8-4, then the Purple Raiders pushed No. 11 ranked Alma (Mich.) to eight innings before getting beat 4-3.

Against St. John Fisher, Mount Union scored six in the top of the first with Logan Lehman (Orrville/Orrville) and Brittany Helmink (North Ridgeville/North Ridgeville) each driving in two runs.

The Raiders tacked on two more runs in the fourth off doubles from Andi Vansickle (Loudonville/Loudonville) and Brooke Cox (Louisville/Louisville) to take an 8-0 lead.

St. John Fisher scored a single run in the fourh, two in the sixth and one in the seventh but got no closer in the 8-4 final. 

In the circle, Erin Simmons (Suffied/Field) got the win for Mount Union as she threw a complete game, allowing nine hits, four runs with six strikeouts.

The Raiders jumped out early on Alma with a three-run home run from Vansickle.

Alma got two runs back in the second and tied the game with a run in the fifth and stayed that way until the eighth.

The tournament uses the international tie-breaker rule which means in the eighth inning teams start the inning with a runner on second base. 

In the top of the eighth, Alma sacrified the runner to third then drove in the go ahead run with a single.  Mount Union was unable to respond in the bottom half of the frame and lost 4-3.

Allie Scali (Parma/Parma) went the distance in the circle and took the loss allowing four runs, six hits and having two strikeouts.

Mount Union plays against Johnson & Wales (R.I.) at 11:00 a.m. and Lake Superior (Mich.) at 1:00 a.m. Wednesday in Florida.

Mount Union 8, St. John Fisher 4 (03/01/2016 at Clermont, FL)
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Mount Union......... 600 200 0 -  8 15  2      (3-2)
St. John Fisher..... 000 102 1 -  4  9  1      (3-1)
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Pitchers: Mount Union - Erin Simmons and Logan Lehman. St. John Fisher - Thayer; Schoff(2);
Moses(6) and Neale.
Win-Erin Simmons(2-0)  Loss-Schoff(1-1)  T-2 hrs  A-150
HR FISHERSB - Kubik.
Weather: 70 and sunny

Alma 4, Mount Union 3 (Mar 01, 2016 at Clermont, Fla.)
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Alma................ 020 010 01 -  4  6  3      (3-2)
Mount Union......... 300 000 00 -  3  4  1      (3-3)
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Pitchers: Alma - Morgan Stratton and Danielle Service. Mount Union - Scali and Logan Lehman.
Win-Morgan Stratton(2-1)  Loss-Scali(1-3)  T-2 hours  A-55
HR MTU - Andi Vansickle.
Weather: Sunny & 79