ALLIANCE, Ohio – The no. 24 nationally ranked Mount Union softball team swept Wilmington in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon, winning game one 9-1 in five innings and winning game two 13-3 in five innings.

The Purple Raiders (16-4, 6-0 OAC) would strike first in game one when senior Kendyll Cahill (Groveport / Groveport Madison) hit an RBI double that scored freshman Addy Antonetz (Zainesville / West Muskingum) to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Mount Union would add to that lead in the second inning when senior Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) hit a two-RBI single that scored seniors Kaitlyn Culver (Girard) and Lydia Brunner (Minerva), then Antonetz would hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score sophomore Allison Jones (Berlin Center / Western Reserve) to extend the lead to four runs. The final run of the inning would come off an RBI from freshman Alli Hodgkinson (Akron / Manchester) to stretch the lead to 5-0.

The Raiders would add three runs in the bottom half of the fourth, Antonetz got the inning started with a solo home run to left field, then freshman Grace Bates (Mount Vernon) would hit an RBI double that scored fellow freshman Ava Beas (Brunswick) and the final run of the inning came when senior Emily Denney (Poland / Poland Seminary) scored on a passed ball, making the lead 8-0.

The Quakers (7-11, 1-5 OAC) would answer with a run of their own in the top half of the fifth when Kymberlin Masino hit an RBI double to cut the lead down to seven runs. However, in the bottom half of the same inning Hodgkinson would hit an RBI single that scored freshman McKayla Miller (Mogadore / Field) and give the Raiders the 9-1 victory in five innings.

Cahill got the start in the circle for Mount Union and would throw four innings, giving up zero runs on four hits and struck out one. Freshman Mariah Gent (Pickerington / Pickerington North) would come in to throw the final inning in relief, giving up one run on two hits.

The Raiders would strike first again in game two with a massive 11 run first inning, Antonetz, Mercer and Hodgkinson each had two RBIs in the inning, while Culver, Brunner and Cahill also each added an RBI and the final two runs of the inning came after Hodgkinson scored on a wild pitch and Jones stole home to take an early 11-0 lead.

Wilmington would answer with a run of their own in the second inning, scoring off an RBI from Addysen Stevens. They would then add two more in the following inning when Alaina Eldridge hit a two-run home run to left field to trim the lead to eight runs.

However, Mount Union would go on to add two runs of their own in the bottom half of the third when Bates hit a two-RBI double that scored seniors Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover) and Brooklyn Schlabach (Apple Creek / Waynedale) to push the lead back up to 10 runs. The Quakers wouldn't have an answer in the fourth or fifth innings as the Raiders would go on to take game two 13-3 in five innings.

Cahill would get the start once again for Mount Union in game two and gave up zero runs on zero hits in an inning of work. Sophomore Emma Reemsnyder (Canton / GlenOak) would come in to throw an inning in relief and gave up, one run, zero earned on zero hits. Sophomore Daniella Vecchio (Monongahela, Pa. / Ringgold) would come in next and throw an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and striking out one. Schlabach would then come in to throw an inning and gave up just a single hit and zero runs. Junior Haleigh McCalla (Youngstown / Springfield Local) would come in to throw the final inning and gave up zero runs on zero hits.

The Raiders are home again next when they host Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday, April 8 in an OAC matchup, with games beginning at 1 and 3 p.m. in Alliance.