ALLIANCE, Ohio -- The Mount Union softball team split a doubleheader with Baldwin-Wallace, losing the first game 5-3 before winning the nightcap 4-3, in Ohio Athletic Conference play on Thursday at 23rd Street Field.

The Raiders held off a late rally attempted by the Yellow Jackets in the nightcap. With one out and two runners on, winning pitcher Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) got the final two hitters to fly out and strikeout.

Mount Union took the first lead in the fourth inning on a two-out RBI triple by Alex Mayo (Greenville/Ansonia). Sarah Woody (Uniontown/Green), who reached base on a single, scored on Mayo's hit.

The Raiders tacked on three much needed insurance runs during the fifth.

Jill Rader (Ashland/Ashland) opened the frame with a leadoff walk and her pinch-runner, Yuki Hamada (Japan), scored on an RBI triple by Marissa Earl (Massillon/Massilon Washington). Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless) drove in Earl with a sacrifice fly, but reached on an error and scored on a single by Woody.

Baldwin-Wallace pushed two runs across in the sixth via wild pitch and error, trimming its deficit to 4-2.

The Jackets added their third run in the seventh on an RBI double by Lauren Fecuich. McAninch then extinguished the rally.

McAninch pitched the entire game, allowing two earned runs on five hits. She recorded two strikeouts and four walks.

Mayo batted 3-for-3 and Woody went 2-for-3.

Sarah Baker was the losing pitcher. She worked five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits, while finishing with two strikeouts and one walk.

Mackenzie Rohrbacher pitched one inning of scoreless relief for B-W. Meghan Kossow had a double on offense.

In the opener, Mount Union took a 3-1 lead with with a three-run third, but the Yellow Jackets closed the game with four unanswered runs.

Katie Finley gave the visitors a 1-0 lead before the Raiders answered.

Rachel Jesso (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) led off the Raider third with a single. With one out, Shelby Carmichael (Dalton/Dalton) smacked a single with Jesso eventually scoring on the play via B-W error.

The Raiders took the lead on an RBI double by Bre Willis (Navarre/Fairless), who plated Carmichael. After a walk by Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney), Brenna Longo (Moon, Pa./Moon) drove in Willis with a fielder's choice ground ball; Willis beat a play at the plate.

An RBI single by Fecuich and then a game-tying RBI double by Ashley Elber helped the Yellow Jackets pull even with a two-run fifth.

The visitors then took the lead in the sixth on an RBI double by Kaity Mullen. A Purple Raider error enabled B-W to increase its advantage to 5-3 during the frame.

Mount Union put together one final threat in the seventh when Carmichael and Palombaro reached with singles, but ultimately fell short.

Tabitha Murray batted 3-for-4 with two runs for the Yellow Jackets. Elber went 2-for-4 and Finley was 2-for-3 in support of winning pitcher Justina Wise, who allowed two earned runs on six hits. Wise struck out six batters and walked two.

Carmichael was the Raiders' top hitter, going 2-for-4.

Willis suffered the loss. She allowed four earned runs in 11 hits while recording six strikeouts and one walk.

The Raiders will return to action on Saturday when they visit Otterbein for a 1 p.m. OAC doubleheader.

Baldwin-Wallace 5, Mount Union 3
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Baldwin-Wallace..... 010 022 0 -  5 11  3      (16-6, 4-3 OAC)
Mount Union......... 003 000 0 -  3  6  2      (14-9, 6-3 OAC)
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Baldwin-Wallace - Wise and Brown. Mount Union - Bre Willis and Mara Palombaro.
Win-Wise(9-3)  Loss-Bre Willis(8-4)

Mount Union 4, Baldwin-Wallace 3
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Baldwin-Wallace..... 000 002 1 -  3  5  1      (16-7, 4-4 OAC)
Mount Union......... 000 130 X -  4  7  2      (15-9, 7-3 OAC)
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Baldwin-Wallace - Baker; Rohrbacher(6) and Kossow. Mount Union - Rachel McAninch and
Mara Palombaro.
Win-Rachel McAninch(6-4)  Loss-Baker(5-4)