FORT MYERS, FLA. – Spurred on by an offensive attack that plated 32 runs and hit .306 as a group, Manchester University claimed five of its first six games on its annual spring break trip Saturday – Monday, March 19-21.

A quartet of Spartans' hitters ended the span at .350 or higher individually. Sophomore second baseman Laurren Ladwig (Crown Point, Ind.) led the charge (.450 batting average, nine hits, seven runs scored, two doubles and six RBI) and was followed closely by freshman catcher Maleigh Tidd (Brownstown, Ind.), who sported a .385 average as a key utility player; senior pitcher/infielder MacKenzie Williams (Kendallville, Ind.) (.353 batting average); and freshman infielder Kate Skeens (Gas City, Ind.) (.350 batting average, five doubles, seven hits, six RBI and a .600 slugging percentage). On the pitching mound, Williams got the trip off on a high note winning back-to-back starts in complete-game fashion against The College of Wooster of Ohio and Castleton University of Vermont, shutting out the Fighting Scots of Wooster on four hits for her second successive full-game blanking and then holding off the Spartans in a 3-2 decision with five strikeouts over seven frames. Junior hurler Anna Schillinger (Fort Wayne, Ind.) also had a pair of pitching victories in the period, defeating St. Olaf College of Minnesota 5-4 Sunday and Wooster 10-3 Monday.

The Black and Gold (7-3) wrapped up their Sunshine State stay with games against Wooster and Mt. St. Vincent College of New York Tuesday, March 22, and a twinbill versus Mt. St. Mary's College of New York Wednesday, March 23. They return to the Midwest for a clash with Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association member Alma College on the road Saturday, March 26.