WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Davenport University softball team scored a combined 18 runs on 23 hits in a pair of wins on Thursday and made some history in the process. Rachel Griffin set a new school record for RBI in a game with seven in the first victory and the Panthers secured the largest comeback win in school history for the nightcap. Davenport crushed Cedarville, 8-2, and walked it off against Notre Dame College, 10-9.

Davenport has now won three games in a row to improve to 4-5 on the season. Friday, the Panthers will have another doubleheader at the Diamond Plex with games against USciences at 12:15 p.m. and Concordia (N.Y.) at 2:30 p.m.

Game 1: Davenport 8, Cedarville 2
Four of Davenport's seven hits came from cleanup hitter, Rachel Griffin, who went 4-for-4 at the dish and was a triple shy of the cycle. Griffin scored twice, batted in seven, belted a two-run home run in the third, and a grand slam in the seventh. The Panthers' eighth run came when Alexa Flores drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh while Selene Pauley, Briana Allen and Hayley O'Mara each registered a hit as well.

In the circle, Ellie Muilenburg (2-2) was brilliant once again as she notched her fourth complete game in as many outings. Muilenburg gave up just the two earned runs on seven hits without a single walk and four strikeouts. The junior right-hander has allowed two earned runs or less in each of her four starts this season.

Game 2: Davenport 10, Notre Dame College 9
With two outs recorded in the top of the second inning, Notre Dame led Davenport, 8-0. The Panthers then mounted the largest comeback for a victory in school history. They scored three runs in the third, one in the fourth and five in the sixth to tie it up at 9-9 before winning it in the bottom of the seventh with a Pauley RBI single down the right field line.

Thirteen of Davenport's 16 hits came from the top six spots of the order that went a combined 13-for-23 (.565 batting average). Gabby Palazzolo, Pauley, Flores, Griffin, Brooke Cowan, and Kennedy Crawford each had a multi-hit game. Pauley, Griffin and Cowan each hit a home run including the first two of Cowan's career.

Taylor Simon lasted just an inning and two-thirds while giving up eight earned runs on 10 hits. In relief, Muilenburg (3-2) improved to 2-0 on the day with five-and-a-third innings of one-run ball, only one free pass allowed and six punchouts.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler