ALLIANCE, Ohio— Mount Union's softball team swept Marietta in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader and clinched a spot in the OAC Tournament on Sunday afternoon, winning game one 8-1 and winning game two 15-2 in five innings.
The Purple Raiders (23-11, 12-4 OAC) would strike first in game one, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning, the first coming off a sacrifice fly from senior Adri George (Eastlake / North) that scored junior Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) then junior Kendyll Cahill (Groveport / Groveport Madison) had an RBI that brought in junior Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover) to take a 2-0 lead.
Mount Union would add to their lead in the following inning when Mercer hit an RBI that scored sophomore Kyndall Hahn (Garrettsville / James Garfield) to extend the lead to three runs. They would then add two more runs in the fourth inning, when junior Kaitlyn Culver (Girard) scored on a passed ball and then Mercer scored after an error by the left fielder to stretch the lead to five runs.
The Pioneers (18-14-1, 5-10 OAC) would get one back in the top half of the sixth when Grace Elliott hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-1.
However, the Raiders would add three more runs in the bottom half of the same inning, the first coming off an RBI bunt from Reicosky, then Mercer scored on a wild pitch, and finally Reicosky scored on a George sacrifice fly. After Marietta wasn't able to plate any runs in the final inning, the Raiders would go on to win 8-1.
Cahill would get the start in the circle for Mount Union and would pitch a complete game, giving up just one run on nine hits and striking out eight.
The Pioneers would strike first in game two when Taylor Airy hit a two-RBI double in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.
The Raiders would claim their first lead of the game with four runs in the second inning; first, Culver scored on an error by the first baseman, then freshman Allison Jones (Berlin Center / Western Reserve) stole home, followed by a two-RBI single from senior Tori Sickafoose (Magnolia / Sandy Valley) to take a 4-2 lead.
Mount Union would then explode with an eight-run third inning, with RBIs coming from Mercer, Reicosky, George, Cahill, junior Abbie Gayner (Akron / Revere) and Jones to stretch the lead to 12-2. Then, in the following inning, Cahill would hit a three-run home run to right center to cap off a 15-2 win in five innings.
Freshman Emma Reemsnyder (Canton / GlenOak) would get the start in the circle for Mount Union in game two and threw a complete game, giving up just two runs, zero earned, on three hits and striking out a career-high seven batters.
The Raiders will host Muskingum in a doubleheader next to wrap up OAC play on Saturday, May 3, with game one beginning at 1 p.m. and game two following at 3 p.m. in Alliance.
