COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Mount Union's softball team split a pair of games on the second day of the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic, taking down no. 13 nationally ranked Emory 4-3 in game one and falling to Pomona-Pitzer 11-5 in game two on Saturday afternoon. 

Mount Union (3-1) got off to the same start as they did in day one with senior Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) scoring, but this time freshman Addy Antonetz (Zanesville / West Muskingum) singled through the left side of the infield for the RBI.  
 
Emory (5-4) responded with a run in the bottom of the second to tie the game up. Neither team scored in the third inning leaving the game tied at 1.
 
Mount Union's bats came alive in the top of the fourth inning scoring three runs taking a 4-1 lead. Senior Lydia Brunner (Minera) singled up the middle to score senior Kaitlyn Culver (Girard), and then Antonetz hit a single through the left side of the infield once again scoring sophomore Allison Jones (Berlin Center / Western Reserve) and Mercer.
 
Emory responded with a homerun in the bottom of the fourth as Mount Union led 4-2 going into the fifth. Both teams were scoreless in the fifth and Mount Union was held scoreless in the sixth. Emory added another run in the sixth to close within one going into the final inning.
 
Senior Kendyll Cahill (Groveport / Groveport Madison) closed the door in the seventh pitching a complete game allowing just seven hits, three runs and striking out six in the victory.

In the Raiders' second game of the day Pomona-Pitzer (3-8) would strike first with three runs in the top of the first inning, the first two coming off an RBI double and the third coming after an error by the Mount Union defense. The Raiders would answer with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning when Antonetz hit an RBI single that scored Mercer and then her and junior Kyndall Hahn (Garrettsville / James Garfield) to tie the game at three runs apiece.

The Sagehens would reclaim the lead in the top of the second inning, scoring three more runs coming off a two-RBI double and a sacrifice fly to take a 6-3 lead. Mount Union would get one back in the third inning when freshman Grace Bates (Mount Vernon) hit an RBI single the scored Cahill to cut the lead down to two. Pomona-Pitzer would push the lead back-up to three runs in the fourth inning with another RBI double. 

The Raiders would once again cut into the lead in the bottom half of the fifth when freshman Ava Beas (Brunswick) scored after an error by the Pomona-Pitzer first baseman to cut the lead to 7-5. That is as close as Mount Union would get however as the Sagehens would go on to score the final four runs of the game and win 11-5. 

Freshman Mariah Gent (Pickerington / Pickerington North) got the start in the circle for Mount Union and would give up four runs, three earned on three hits and strikeout one in an inning of work. Sophomore Daniella Vecchio (Monongahela, Pa. / Ringgold) would come in to throw an inning in relief, giving up two runs, one earned on two hits. Junior Haleigh McCalla (Youngstown / Springfield Local) would also come in to throw an inning in relief, giving up zero runs on zero hits. Sophomore Emma Reemsnyder (Canton / GlenOak) would come in to throw the next three innings, giving up four runs, three earned on four hits before senior Brooklyn Schlabach (Apple Creek / Waynedale) would come in to throw the final inning, giving up one run, zero earned on one hit. 

The Raiders are back in action tomorrow for the final day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic, taking on Gettysburg at 9 a.m. followed by Saint Benedict at 11 a.m. at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Ga.