(PANAMA CITY, FL)-- Mount Union softball team, seeded
fourth in the gold bracket of the NFCA Leadoff Classic Tournament
won game one against Ithaca (NY) 12-4 in six innings and lost game
two against Christopher Newport (VA) 5-3 in eight innings.
In game one, the Purple Raiders did what they do best and jumped
out to an early lead with two back to back two run home runs from
junior second baseman Alex Lucak (Maple Heights/Trinity) and senior
shortstop Meghan Simons (Minerva/Minerva).
Mount Union added to their lead in the second inning with a
string of singles from sophomore left fielder Ashley Henriques
(Canton/GlenOak), freshman Rachel Jesso (Mt. Pleasant, PA/Mt.
Pleasant) and senior third baseman Anna Horning (Cuyaoga
Falls/Woodridge). Errors made by Ithaca and smart base
running by the Purple Raiders made the score 9-0.
Ithaca got on the board in the fourth inning by scoring three
runs on four hits, making the score 9-3.
In the fourth inning, more errors by Ithaca allowed for two more
Purple Raider runs to come home, making the score 11-3.
Two Purple Raider errors allowed for Ithaca to score one more
run making the score 11-4. The Raiders answered back in the
sixth inning after a series of long fly balls which allowed for
junior catcher Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney) to score
the run which would close the books on Ithaca.
Freshman Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) picked
up the win for Mount Union.
Later, in game two against Christopher Newport, Mount Union gave
up two runs in the first inning and left them unanswered until the
third and fourth innings when the Raiders would score one run in
each to tie the game at 2.
Both teams would score in the fifth which tied the game at
3. The game went to extra innings and the Purple Raiders
would give up two more runs in the eighth inning making the final
score 5-3.
The Purple Raiders are 0-2 when they do not score first.
Mount Union plays Saturday morning at 8:30 am (CST) against
Moravian College at the Frank Brown Complex in Panama City Beach,
Florida.
