ALLIANCE, Ohio – The no. 11 nationally ranked Mount Union softball team lost in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinal 5-4 against Capital on Friday afternoon.
The Purple Raiders (29-6, 15-1 OAC) would strike first when senior
Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover) hit an RBI single that scored senior
Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
The Comets (20-17, 7-9 OAC) would answer with two runs of their own in the following inning to claim their first lead of the game at 2-1, with RBIs coming from Ryanne Wilson and Shelby Allen. Mount Union would score a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at two runs apiece when senior
Lydia Brunner (Minerva) hit an RBI single that brought in senior
Kaitlyn Culver (Girard).
The Raiders would then reclaim the lead in the following inning when Mercer scored following an error by the Capital third baseman and then freshman
Alli Hodgkinson (Akron / Manchester) hit a sacrifice fly RBI to score Reicosky and take a 4-2 lead.
Capital would come back with three runs of their own in the top half of the seventh with RBIs from Audrey Thomas, Kyleigh Kirby and Autumn Bridges to retake the lead at 5-4. Mount Union wouldn't be able to answer in the bottom half of the inning as the Comets would go on to win 5-4.
Senior
Kendyll Cahill (Groveport / Groveport Madison) got the start in the circle for Mount Union and gave up two runs on three hits and struck out four in 3.1 innings of action. Sophomore
Emma Reemsnyder (Canton / GlenOak) would come in to throw the final 3.2 innings in relief and gave up three runs on three hits and struck out three.
The Raiders will now have to wait and see if they receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament when the field is announced during the Selection Show on Monday, May 11 at 11 a.m. on NCAA.com.
