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Box Score 2
The Mount St. Joseph University softball team improved to 18-12 overall, 6-8 in the HCAC on Sunday afternoon after completing a home doubleheader sweep over conference rival Transylvania University, 6-5 and 7-4. The Mount will complete 2015 play on April 27 when they play at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (20-12, 6-8 HCAC). The Lions will be looking to reach the 20-win plateau, and bring their record to .500 in the HCAC. The Mount last reached 18 wins in the 2005 season, and the last time they had 20 or more wins came during the 2003 season when they finished 23-18. The last time the Lions were .500 or better in the conference was in 2009 when they recorded an 8-8 mark.
The Lions jumped out in game with a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but saw the Pioneers post three runs in the fifth inning to take a 3-1 lead. The Mount answered that back in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game at 3-all thanks to a two-run single by Morgan Kain (Batesville, IN/Batesville). A two-run home run by Becky Owens (Cincinnati, OH/Dater) in the sixth inning, her first homer of the season, gave the Mount a 5-3 lead, but Transy tied the game in the top of the seventh inning, scoring two unearned runs. Alli Lenos (Middletown, OH/Madison), however, came through with her third hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, ripping a line drive infield single to score teammate Morgan Hoehn (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) to make a winner of Lions' pitcher Danielle Nichelson (Glencoe, KY/Gallatin County).
Nichelson tossed a complete game, giving up just five hits and a walk with four Ks. She improved to 8-7 on the season. The Lions had 12 hits in the game, with Claire Wehby (Mason, OH/Mason) and Owens adding two hits each.
The Lions completed the sweep in game two by bolting out to a 5-0 advantage after just two innings of action. Katie Hoelmer (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) had a two-run double in the fourth, her third RBI of the game, to push the lead out to 7-0. A brief, seventh inning rally garnered the Pioneers four runs, making the score 7-4 but Paige Kiesewetter (Piqua, OH/Miami East) held on to win the game, making her record 10-5 on the season.She struck out five batters.
The Lions totaled 10 hits in the second game, with Mallory Wright (Germantown, OH/Valley View), Paige Norton (Cincinnati, OH/Reading), and Hoelmer each collecting two hits. Transylvania was just one-for-16 with runners in scoring position, stranding 12 runners on base in the game.
