MARYVILLE, Tenn. - Webster Softball concluded the first day of play in the Maryville College Invitational by suffering a 10-0 shutout in five innings to Maryville College at the MC Softball Complex. 

The loss to Maryville was the second of the day for the Gorloks as Webster opened the 2020 season with a 4-1 setback to Centre College. The Gorloks will play the same two teams on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. ET respectively. 

After collecting four hits in the loss to Centre, the Gorloks had just one hit against the Scots, which came in the fourth inning off the bat of junior rightfielder Anna Muecke (Lueneburg, Germany/Spatanburg Methodist). 

The Scots, who improved to 2-0 on the season with the shutout win, scored eight of their runs in the first inning as they sent 13 batterss to the plate and recorded six hits and took advantage of an error, three walks and four wild pitches from both senior pitchers Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State) and junior Kirbie Mendenhall (Robinson, Ill./Parkland College). The big hits in the inning were a 3-run double by Taylor Campbell and a 2-run single by Amaya Goodloe. 

In the second inning, sophomore second baseman Taylor Jackson (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Grandin) led off with a walk, but would later be retired on a fielder's choice off the bat of Muecke. 

Maryville added a run in the third inning on three singles, including an RBI single by Jazmine Geary to push the Scots' lead to 9-0. 

The Gorloks had a scoring opportunity in the fourth inning as sophomore leftfielder Emma Steltzer (Manchester, Mo./University of New Mexico) opened the frame by reaching on a throwing error by MC pitcher Hannah Bruce. Senior centerfielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad) would then reach on a fielder's choice and after Jackson walked to put two runners on base and after sophomore first baseman Ashlee Seltzer (Castle Pines, Colo./Rock Canyon) struck out, Muecke reached on an infield single to load the bases. The Gorloks, though, would fail to score as Bruce struck out third baseman Avery Boccella (Gilbert, Ariz./Trinidad State) to end the threat.

Maryville would plate a 10th run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Ashton Hayden to give the Scots a 10-0 lead. 

Bruce would then retire the Gorloks in order in the top of the fifth to seal the mercy rule win.

Craig (0-1) took the loss in the circle for the Gorloks as she faced five batters and failed to get an out as she allowed three hits and five runs (five earned runs), while walking two. Mendenhall would pitch the next four-plus innings as she allowed eight hits and five runs, while walking three and striking out three. 

Hayden, Geary and Christina White each had two hits for the Scots as they finished the game with 11 hits. Taylor Campbell had 3 RBI and Goodloe had 2 RBI in the win. 

Bruce (1-0) earned the win the circle as she allowed just one hit, while walking two and fanning three.