ALLIANCE, Ohio—Mount Union's softball team swept visiting Capital—7-4 in the opener and 5-1in the nightcap—for a pair of crucial Ohio Athletic Conference wins Tuesday afternoon at 23rd Street Field. The Purple Raiders (16-18, 6-8 OAC) remain in contention for the conference at the beginning of next month.

Senior Bre Willis (Navarre/Fairless) continued her stellar play from the pitcher's circle with a complete game victory in the opener in the final home game of her collegiate career. Willis (8-8) recorded six strikeouts while allowing three earned runs to pick up her fourth win in the past nine days.

The Crusaders struck first with a run in the top of the 1st inning, but the Raiders came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Amy Brown (Uniontown/Lake) delivered a two-out double and scored on a single by Leigh Siedlak (Westerville/Westerville South). Shelby Carmichael (Dalton/Dalton) then singled to right field and the Capital catcher mishandled the throw to the plate, allowing Siedlak to score.

Marissa Earl (Massillon/Massillon Washington) delivered an early knockout swing with a three-run homer in the 2nd inning. The OAC's Hitter of the Week was 2-for-4 in the first game and nearly added another RBI on a triple in the 6th, but Capital was able throw the base runner out at the plate.

Brittany Papp (Uniontown/Green) drove in the other two Raider runs. Her RBI double in the 5th inning put Mount Union ahead by three again after the Crusaders scored in the top of the inning.

That was all the help Willis needed. After a 1-2-3 6th, she closed the book on her career at 23rd Street Field by striking out three Crusader batters in the 7th.

Alyssa Patznick (12-5) took the loss for the Crusaders. She allowed four earned runs and five hits over 1.2 innings. Courtney Dingess and Kayla Meehan each drove in a run while Devan Boggs had three hits.

The Raider bats jumped on Capital pitcher Jessica Montgomery early in the second game, forcing her out of the game after allowing four runs in just 1.1 innings of work.

Brown found success in the 1st inning again, putting the Raiders on the scoreboard with a single that plated Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless). After Siedlak drew a walk, Carmichael delivered an RBI double to put two runners in scoring position with just one out. Montgomery survived the inning by getting the next two batters to pop-up.

In the 2nd, Gromes hit her sixth triple of the season, scoring Kaylah Nieschwitz (Canton/St. Thomas Aquinas) and prompting a pitching change for the Crusders. Earl then singled to score Gromes. She picked up yet another RBI with a sac fly in the 6th inning.

Kelsey Swain drove in Capital's lone run on a single in the third inning. She finished the game with two hits, as did Boggs, who scored on Swain's single.

Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) turned in one of her best performances of the season to win her sixth game. McAninch, who pitched her 14th complete game of the season, had five strikeouts and scattered six hits while allowing just one run.

Mount Union (16-8, 6-8 OAC) will return to action on Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. match at Heidelberg. The Raiders were supposed to play a doubleheader at Ohio Wesleyan on Friday, but the series has been canceled due to the Battling Bishops making up a conference series from this past weekend.

Mount Union 7, Capital 4 (Game 1)
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Capital............. 102 010 0 -  4  9  2      (20-12, 5-5 OAC)
Mount Union......... 231 010 X -  7 10  5      (15-18, 5-8 OAC)
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Pitchers: Capital - Alyssa Patznick; Brooke Billings(2) and LeAnna Cotton; Maura Rose.
Mount Union - Bre Willis and Brittany Papp.
Win-Bre Willis(8-8)  Loss-Alyssa Patznick(12-5)  T-1:30  A-92
HR MTU - Marissa Earl (5).
Weather: 65

Mount Union 5, Capital 1 (Game 2)
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Capital............. 001 000 0 -  1  6  1      (20-13, 5-6 OAC)
Mount Union......... 220 001 X -  5  9  2      (16-18, 6-8 OAC)
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Pitchers: Capital - Jessica Montgomery; Brooke Billings(2) and Maura Rose. Mount Union -
Rachel McAninch and Brittany Papp.
Win-Rachel McAninch(6-10)  Loss-Jessica Montgomery(6-6)  T-1:45  A-92
Weather: 65