BARTOW, Fla. – Mount Union's softball team split a pair of games on the final day of their Spring Break trip in Florida, falling to No. 18 nationally ranked Calvin 5-3 and beating Washington 10-2 on Friday afternoon.
The Knights (7-5) struck first in game one, scoring two runs in the first inning when Kennedi Pepin reached first on an error by the Mount Union second baseman, and Carly Dole and Emily Sweetland scored to take a 2-0 lead. Calvin would add to their lead in the top half of the third inning when Pepin hit an RBI double to center field to stretch the lead to three runs.
The Purple Raiders (8-4) would answer with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the same inning when sophomore Kyndall Hahn (Garrettsville / James Garfield) and junior Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover) scored off an RBI double from senior Adri George (Eastlake / North) to cut the lead down to a run. Mount Union would then tie the game in the fifth inning, scoring again on an RBI double from George that brought home junior Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch).
The Knights would reclaim their lead in the top half of the seventh when Tory Decker hit a two-RBI single to push the lead back out to two runs. The Raiders wouldn't be able to answer in the bottom half of the same inning as Calvin would go on to win 5-3.
Freshman Emma Reemsnyder (Canton / GlenOak) got the start in the circle for Mount Union and gave up three runs, one earned on four hits, and struck out one in four innings of work. Sophomore Haleigh McCalla (Youngstown / Springfield Local) would come in to pitch the final three innings in relief and gave up two runs on four hits and struck out one.
The Shorewomen (3-9) struck first in the second game of the day, breaking the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when Mia Mavoides hit a two-RBI double to left centerfield to take a 2-0 lead.
The Raiders would answer with a massive nine-run inning in the top half of the sixth with RBIs coming from George, junior Abbie Gayner (Akron / Revere), junior Trista Melcher (Medina), Mercer, and sophomore Kaitlynn Bamler (Twinsburg) to take a 9-2 lead. Mount Union would then add another run in the seventh inning when Reicosky laid down a bunt that scored Mercer to stretch the lead to eight runs. Washington wouldn't have an answer in the bottom half of the inning as the Raiders would go on to win 10-2.
Junior Chloe Bird (Norton) got the start in the circle for Mount Union and gave up two runs on five hits and struck out two in four innings of work. Freshman Daniella Vecchio (Monongahela, Pa. / Ringgold) would come in to throw the final three innings in relief and gave zero runs on zero hits on her way to her first career win.
The Raiders return to action on Wednesday, March 19, when they travel to Erie, Pa., to take on non-conference opponent Penn State-Behrend in a doubleheader with games at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
