WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Mount Union softball team swept Wilmington (11-15, 4-12 OAC) Saturday afternoon in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader. With the sweep, the Purple Raiders move their record to 13-19 overall and 6-10 in the OAC. 

Game one started scoreless for two innings, but in the top of third an two-RBI single from Allie Goldy (Painesville/Riverside) scored Brooklyn Hellman (Canton/Jackson) and Emily Hume (Minerva/Minerva) for the Raiders to take the lead at 2-0.

Wilmington would drive in a run in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-1 but Mount Union's offense came back strong in the top of the fifth.

Scoring five runs on seven hits, the Raiders strung together four RBI singles in Maggie Dominick (Dennison/Tuscarawas Central Catholic), Maddie Pidgeon (Salem/West Branch), Montana Martin (Massillon/Tuslaw) and Hume to increase their lead to 7-1.

The offense remained alive for Mount Union in the top of the sixth when Anna Saxton (Boardman/Boardman) smacked a two-run home run, scoring Goldy, to further their lead to 9-1. Wilmington was able to etch another run in the both of the sixth, but would ultimately take the loss at 9-2.

Shelby Vansickle (Loudonville/Loudonville) would get her first complete game victory after seven innings pitched and only allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts; Vansickle is now 2-1. 

With another slow start to game two, there was no score after three and a half innings until Wilmington scored a run on an RBI single. 

Following up in the top of the fifth, Hume grounded out to the shortstop but it gave Jordan Kramer (Mentor/Mentor) enough time to score from third to tie the game at 1-1. In the bottom half the inning, Wilmington tabbed two more runs, retaking the lead 3-1.

With no score in the sixth inning, Mount Union rallied in the top of the seventh to take the lead at 4-3 after having two outs in the inning by a combination of singles from Morgan Riley (Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi), Goldy and Dominick.

A lead-off triple by Wilmington in the bottom half of the inning got a runner in scoring position quickly, and was eventually hit in to tie the game at 4-4. Wilmington was unable to capitalize on bases-loaded, sending the game into extra innings.

In extras, there was no score in the eighth, but a four-run inning by the Raiders in RBI singles from Miller and Goldy, an RBI double by Pidgeon and a runner scoring on groundouts from Riley and Dominick extended Mount Union's lead to 8-4. Wilmington would score one more inning but left three runners on base to end the game; Raiders winning 8-5.

Hannah Reusser (Minerva/Minerva) started game two and pitched six innings while allowing four runs on 11 hits. Jordan Tull (Brewster/Fairless) received the win after three innings pictched allowing just two hits and one run. 

Mount Union returns home for a make-up game against Case Western Reserve on Monday, April 23 starting at 3:30 p.m.