MELBOURNE, Fla. - St. Norbert College opened the Space Coast Games with a split on the first day of competition, defeating Rutgers-Newark 13-5 and falling 9-2 to Western Connecticut State in two games at Blue Easton.  

The Green Knights (1-3) won their first game of the season against Rutgers-Newark, scoring 13 runs off 11 hits.  

After trailing 2-0 in the first inning, the Green Knights scored eight of their own in the bottom of the inning. Allison Ardito scored the first run of the afternoon on a passed ball before a Morgan Jarvi (pictured) single tied the game at 2-2. Three runners scored of a Rutgers-Newark error as the St. Norbert lead grew to 7-2. Magdeline Hanmann completed the welt with an RBI triple that scored Ardito for a second time in the inning.  

A Hanmann single in the third scored yet another St. Norbert run, while a double from Zoe Zasada scored Ardito for a third time.  

Rutgers-Newark brought back two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth to make it an 11-5 lead for St. Norbert. A single from Ave Engwall brought home a 12 run in the sixth, while Hanmann was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to end the game one inning early.  

Hanmann and Adrianna Volz recorded multi-hit games, with Hanmann going 2-of-4 with three RBIs and Volz going 2-for-2 with one RBI.  

Cassie Schultz took her first win of the season, pitching four innings and allowing three hits and two runs with one strikeout and three walks.  

The Green Knights then took on Western Connecticut State in the second game of the opening day, falling 7-2 to the Wolves.  

Volz hit a two RBI home run in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 2-2, before the Wolves scored seven unanswered runs to take the win. Three of the seven runs were scored in the sixth inning.  

Amber Johanek took the loss, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing six hits and five runs with three walks.