KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Mount Union's softball team swept the last day of their Florida trip, beating Illinois 6-1 and beating Kenyon 15-1 on Friday morning.
The Purple Raiders (7-3) struck first in their first game of the day with a massive six run sixth inning. Sophomore
Amanda Bish (Mercer, Pa. / Mercer Area) got things started when she drew a walk that scored freshman
Faith Kiko (North Canton / Hoover), then seniors
Alexis Temple (Mentor) and
Taylor Gerback (Louisville / Marlington) drew back-to-back walks to score freshman
Kendyll Cahill (Columbus / Grove Port Madison) and junior
Michaela Folks (Wooster). Freshman
Sydney Mercer (Beloit / West Branch) capped off the inning with a three RBI double to left field that scored Gerback, Bish and freshman
Lydia Brunner (Minerva) to give Mount Union a 6-0 lead.
The Lady Blues (3-8) would answer with a run in the bottom half of the sixth coming off an RBI single from Brooke Loveall but it wouldn't be enough as the Raiders would go on to win 6-1.
Cahill got the start in the circle for Mount Union and gave up just one run on six hits and struck out nine on the way to her fourth win of the season.
The Owls (1-8) got on the board first in the Raiders second game of the day, scoring in the top of the first inning on an RBI double from Maeve McLaughlin.
The Raiders would answer with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning coming off an RBI double from sophomore
Adri George (Eastlake / North) and an RBI single from Kiko to take a 2-1 lead. Mount Union would add six runs in the bottom of the second inning, the first coming off an RBI single from freshman
Kaitlyn Culver (Akron / Springfield), then Folks hit a two RBI double followed by a two-run homerun from Mercer. The final run of the inning came when George scored on an error by the Kenyon third baseman. The Raiders would add three more runs in the third inning with RBIs coming from Culver and Mercer to increase their lead to 11-1. Mount Union would go on to add four more runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning with RBIs coming from Gerback, Temple and freshman
LaDea Waderker (Warren), as they would go on to win 15-1 in five innings.
Freshman
Mackenzie Herman (Hermitage, Pa. / Reynolds) got the start in the circle for the Raiders, giving up just one run on five hits and striking out two in four innings of action. Freshman
Brooklyn Schlabach (Apple Creek / Waynedale) would come in to pitch the final inning and gave up zero runs on one hit.
The Raiders return to action on Saturday, March 18 when they take on Thiel in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in Greenville, Pa.
