CLEVELAND, Ohio – Mount Union's softball team swept a pair of games in NCAA Tournament action on Friday afternoon, beating Penn State Altoona 7-2 in their first game of the day and beating No. 3 nationally ranked Case Western Reserve 3-2 in their second game.

The Purple Raiders (38-10) would strike first against Altoona after an overthrow by the Altoona third baseman on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) scored senior Grace Heath (Beloit / West Branch) and freshman Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover) and then sophomore Adri George (Eastlake / North) brought home Mercer to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead. Mount Union would add to their lead in the top half of the third when sophomore Sami Swartz (Columbus / Grandview Heights) scored on a wild pitch, then freshman Faith Kiko (North Canton / Hoover) would drive in senior Alexis Temple (Mentor) to push the lead to 5-0.

The Lions (25-13) would answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the third inning when Brooke Colledge scored after a Mount Union error to cut the lead down to 5-1. The Raiders would push the lead back out to five in the next inning, when Heath scored off an RBI from Mercer. Mount Union would add another run in the top half of the fifth when junior Lydia Wacker (Wellington / Black River) stole home to make the lead 7-1.

Altoona would cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cameryn Feathers hit a solo homerun to right center field to cut the lead to 7-2, but that is as close as the Lions would get as the Raiders would go on to win 7-2.

Freshman Kendyll Cahill (Grove Port / Grove Port Madison) got the start in the circle for Mount Union and gave up just one run on four hits and struck out two in three innings of action. Freshman Chloe Bird (Norton) came in to throw 3.1 innings in relief, giving up one run on five hits and striking out four. Freshman Emmalee Marstellar (Vandalia / Butler) would come in to get the final two outs of the seventh inning and gave up zero runs on zero hits.

The Spartans (38-5) would strike first against Mount Union breaking the zero-zero tie in the bottom of the third inning, scoring off RBIs from Carli Tucci and Anna Gobeyn to take a 2-0 lead.

The Raiders would comeback to tie the game in the top half of the fourth when George hit a two-run homerun to left field to tie the game at two apiece. Mount Union would take their first lead of the game in the sixth inning when Temple drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Heath and take a 3-2 lead. Case Western wouldn't be able to answer over the final two innings as Mount Union would go on to win 3-2.

Cahill got the start in the circle again for Mount Union and pitched all seven innings, giving up just two runs, one earned on eight hits and struck out one.

With the win the Raiders advance to the Regional Championship for the first time in program history and tied the program record for wins in a single season at 38. They will take on
Hiram tomorrow at noon at Mather Park in Cleveland.