ERIE, Pa. – Mount Union's softball team swept Penn State-Behrend in a doubleheader, winning game one 5-3 and winning game two 7-3 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Purple Raiders (12-3) struck first in game one, scoring in the top half of the first inning when freshman
Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) hit a solo homerun to center field to give Mount Union a 1-0 lead.
The Lions (4-10) answered in the bottom of the third when Maddie Smith hit an RBI single to tie the game at one run apiece. The Raiders would reclaim the lead in the top half of the fifth when sophomore
Amanda Bish (Mercer, Pa. / Mercer Area) scored off an RBI from freshman
Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover).
Behrend would answer with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the same inning, the first coming off a solo homerun from Sierra Williams, the second came off an RBI from Cami McNany to give the Lions a 3-2 lead. Mount Union would come back to tie the game in the next inning when sophomore
Adri George (Eastlake / North) hit a solo homerun to left center field. The Raiders would score a pair of runs in the top of the seventh coming off RBIs from George and Mercer to take a 5-3 lead. The Lions wouldn't be able to answer in the bottom half of the inning and the Raiders would go on to win the first game 5-3.
Freshman
Kendyll Cahill (Grove Port / Grove Port Madison) got the start in the circle for Mount Union and pitched a complete game giving up three runs on 10 hits and striking out four in the win.
The Raiders struck first again in game two when Mercer hit a sacrifice fly to score senior
Grace Heath (Beloit / West Branch) and then George hit a solo homerun to left center field to take a 2-0 lead. Mount Union would add to their lead in the top half of the second inning with RBIs coming from freshman
Lydia Brunner (Minerva), Heath and Reicosky to make the lead 5-0. The Raiders would add another run in the top of the fourth when Reicosky hit an RBI single to bring home Heath and increase the lead to 6-0.
The Lions would cut into the lead in the bottom half of the fourth inning when Williams hit a two RBI double to make the score 6-2. Mount Union would get a run back when freshman
Faith Kiko (North Canton / Hoover) hit a single and George scored on an error by the Behrend left fielder to get the lead back to five runs.
Behrend would answer again in the bottom of the fifth when Alexia Brown hit an RBI that scored Brittany Shaw to cut the lead down to 7-3. After the fifth inning the game was called due to inclement weather and the Raiders would go on to win 7-3.
Freshman
Chloe Bird (Norton) got the start in the circle for Mount Union and gave up two runs on four hits and struck out two in 3.2 innings of action. Freshman
Brooklyn Schlabach (Apple Creek / Waynedale) would come in to pitch the final 1.1 innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits.
The Raiders travel to Tiffin next to open Ohio Athletic Conference play in a doubleheader against Heidelberg on Saturday, April 1, with game one starting at 1 p.m. and game two starting at 3 p.m.
