TIFFIN, Ohio – Mount Union's softball team split a double header with Heidelberg to open Ohio Athletic Conference play, losing game one 7-6 in nine innings and winning game two 11-4 on Tuesday evening.
The Student Princes (9-5, 1-1 OAC) struck first scoring in the bottom half of the first inning when Kat Brady scored on a wild pitch. The Purple Raiders (10-10, 1-1 OAC) would answer in the top of the second inning coming off an RBI from sophomore
Michaela Folks (Wooster).
Both teams would go scoreless until Heidelberg put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth coming off a two-run homerun from Meghan Bame and an RBI single from Maddie Gossard to take a 4-1 lead going into the seventh. Mount Union would answer with five runs of their own in the top half of the seventh scoring off a three-run homer from senior
Hanna Ingram (Stow), an RBI double from junior
Taylor Gerback (Louisville / Marlington) and sacrifice fly from junior
Grace Heath (Beloit / West Branch) to take a 6-4 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Student Princes would answer in the bottom of the seventh tying the game at six off an RBI single from Bame that scored two runs. After neither team could score in the eighth inning, they went to a ninth still tied at six, Heidelberg would break the tie in the bottom of the ninth to take a 7-6 victory.
Senior
Alyssa Rose (Madison) got the start in the circle for the Raiders, she gave up six runs, four earned on seven hits and struck out eight in six innings. Junior
Megan Zody (Westerville / Westerville Central) came in and pitched the final 2.1 innings in relief and gave up one run on four hits and struck out one.
Mount Union got off to a fast start in game two scoring four runs in the top of the first coming off an RBI from freshman
Adri George (Eastlake / North), a sacrifice fly from senior
Peyton Morrison (Canton / GlenOak) and a two RBI single from Gerback. The Raiders would add another run in the second when a sacrifice fly from senior
Payton Guspyt (Port Washington / Indian Valley) scored Heath to take a 5-0 lead.
Mount Union would add to their lead in the top of the fifth inning when Guspyt scored off an RBI single from George and then freshman
Sami Swartz (Columbus / Grandview Heights) stole home to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead. The Raiders extended their lead in the top half of the sixth inning scoring four more runs, coming off an RBI single from Morrison that scored Guspyt and senior
Savannah Miner (Louisville) and an RBI single from Ingram that scored Morrison and George to take an 11-0 lead.
The Students Princes would cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth scoring four runs off RBIs from Emma Dean, Ryann Ramacciatti and Aubrey Conklin, however Mount Union would go on to win 11-4.
Morrison pitched a complete game for the Raiders giving up four runs on five hits and struck out five, picking up her fourth win on the season.
The Raiders return home next taking on Ohio Northern on Saturday, April 2, with the first game of the double header starting at 1 p.m. at the 23rd Street Softball Field in Alliance.
