NEW CONCORD, Ohio – Mount Union's softball team swept a doubleheader at Muskingum, claiming decisions of 7-1 and 6-4, in Ohio Athletic Conference action on Saturday.

During the opener, the Raiders scored five runs in the second inning and never looked back.

Jill Rader (Ashland/Ashland) drew a one-out walk before her teammates came through with four two-out hits.

Alex Mayo (Greenville/Ansonia) plated Rader with an RBI single and then scored on an RBI double by Rachel Jesso. After Marissa Earl (Massillon/Massillon Washington) walked, Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless) delivered an RBI single to score Jesso; a Muskingum error helped Earl score on the play.

Gromes scored Mount Union's fifth run on a single by Shelby Carmichael (Dalton/Dalton).

The Raiders pushed their advantage to 6-0 with a run in the fourth. Jesso led off the frame with a single, moved by on an Earl sacrifice bunt and then scored on a Gromes single.

Kristyn Heagan drove in the Fighting Muskies' only run, smacking an RBI single in the home fourth.

Mount Union added an insurance run in the seventh, forging the 7-1 final score. After one-out singles by Brenna Longo (Moon, Pa./Moon) and Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney), Brittany Papp (Uniontown/Green) drove in Longo's pinch-runner, Jasmine Bentley (Twinsburg/Twinsburg), with a single.

Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) earned the win in the circle. In seven innings of work, she allowed one run on six hits while recording four strikeouts and no walks.

Mary Margaret Boda batted 3-for-3 with a double for Muskingum.

Carissa Diebler suffered the loss, finishing with one strikeout and three walks in 3 1/3 innings. Brittany Folk pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief, finishing with two strikeouts.

Bre Willis (Navarre/Faireless) was the winning pitcher and offensive standout of Mount Union's nightcap win. At the plate, she batted 3-for-4 with a double and two runs. In the circle, she worked all seven innings, allowing four runs on nine hits.  She had two strikeouts and no walks.

The Raiders' decisive rally came in the fifth inning when they scored three runs with two outs, taking the final 6-4 lead.

Mayo started the outburst with a single and scored on a double by Willis, making the score 4-all. Rader then gave Mount Union the lead for good, plating Willis with a single, and then crossed the plate with an insurance run on a Gromes single.

Muskingum took the game's first lead when Chelsea Kaunert knocked a two-run single in the second.

The Purple Raiders answered back with a run in the third and then two more in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.

Carmichael, who reached with a double, scored on an RBI single by Longo in the third.

During the fourth, Willis had a one-out single and scored on Rader's game-tying double. Eventually, a passed ball allowed Rader to score and put Mount Union ahead, 3-2.

The Fighting Muskies took the lead once more in their half of the fourth as Morgan Murray hammered a two-run homer, giving the hosts their final lead at 4-3.

Carmichael had a 2-for-3 game for Mount Union and Rader batted 2-for-4.

For Muskingum, Heagen went 2-for-3 with a double. Kaunert also went 2-for-3 while Apryl Patterson doubled.

The Fighting Muskies used four different pitchers.

Mount Union will return to action on Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin-Wallace for a 3:30 p.m. OAC doubleheader.