TIFFIN, Ohio – Mount Union's softball team swept Heidelberg in a doubleheader to open Ohio Athletic Conference play, winning game one 11-0 in five innings and winning game two 5-2 on Sunday afternoon.
The Purple Raiders (15-3, 2-0 OAC) struck first in game one with a four run second inning with the first run coming off an RBI triple from freshman
Kendyll Cahill (Grove Port / Grove Port Madison). The next three runs came off RBIs from senior
Alexis Temple (Mentor), freshman
Lydia Brunner (Minerva) and senior
Grace Heath (Beloit / West Branch). Mount Union would add to their lead in the third inning after Cahill hit a sacrifice fly to score freshman
Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) to make the lead 5-0.
The Raiders would add another run in the top half of the fourth coming off an RBI from freshman
Kaitlyn Culver (Girard). Mount Union added five more runs in the top of the fifth inning with RBIs coming from freshman
Faith Kiko (North Canton / Hoover), Brunner and Heath, with the final run coming when Heath scored on a wild pitch.
The Student Princes (10-13, 0-2 OAC) wouldn't be able to answer as the Raiders would go on to win game one 11-0 in five innings.
Cahill got the start in the circle for Mount Union, pitching a complete game shutout with four strikeouts and giving up just four hits.
Heidelberg struck first in game two when Murissa Drown hit an RBI double in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. The Student Princes would add a run to their lead in the third inning when Emma Dean hit an RBI that scored Jade Torres.
The Raiders would cut into the lead in the top half of the fifth inning when freshman
Emily Denney (Poland / Poland Seminary) scored off an RBI single from Heath. Mount Union would tie the game at two in the next inning when Cahill hit an RBI that brough home Mercer. The Raiders would take their first lead of the game in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three runs off RBIs from senior
Taylor Gerback (Louisville / Marlington), Mercer and junior
Ally Nittoli (Poland / Poland Seminary) to take a 5-2 lead. The Student Princes wouldn't be able to answer in the final inning as the Raiders would go on to win 5-2.
Freshman
Mackenzie Herman (Greenville, Pa. / Reynolds) got the start in the circle for Mount Union, she gave up two runs, one earned on three hits in three innings of action. Freshman
Chloe Bird (Norton) came in to pitch 2.2 innings of relief and gave up zero runs on three hits. Cahill would come in to throw the final 1.1 innings and gave up zero runs on two hits.
The Raiders return home next to take on Marietta in an OAC doubleheader on Tuesday, April 4 at 3 and 5 p.m. in Alliance.
