CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Mount St. Joseph University softball program once again took to the field at the Kinder Morgan Softball Complex on Tuesday, and again faced off with another tough regional opponent in the Big Red of Denison University. The Lions came into the game riding a 3-game winning streak and just a couple hours later that streak now stands at five! The Lions won a pair of tight games, taking game one 4-3 and game two 9-7.
GAME ONE | MSJ 4 - DU 3
The Mount got off to a fast start, scoring three times in the bottom of the 1st inning to take an early lead.
Alehia Tucker led off the game with a bunt single, and quickly stole second.
Brooke Otto followed that up with a walk, and a pitch later both runners advanced on a throwing error by the Denison catcher.
Elizabeth Ivers lifted a fly ball in to right field for a sacrifice fly, scoring Tucker from third and advancing Otto onto third. An out later
Ali Lang and
Gracie Woodyard hit back to back RBI doubles into left field pushing the Lions lead to 3-0.
Denison bounced back in the top of the second, to push across their first run of the game via a solo homerun. Other than the homer
Sarah Miller kept Denison off balance nearly the whole game, pitching the front 5.0 innings, giving up four hits, and three runs (one earned), walking only one and striking out eight.
The score remained 3-1 until the fifth inning, when Denison notched a pair of unearned runs to tie the score at 3. After surrendering the two runs, Miller struck out two of the final three batters she faced to end the fifth, stranding a pair of runners on base.Â
Quickly though the Lions bounced back to take the lead, scoring in the bottom of the fifth. Lang led off the frame with her second double of the game, after a Woodyard walk, Sarah Kardos advanced both runners via a sacrifice bunt. Then coach Goderwis turned to
Olivia Burger off the bench and again the senior delivered a huge pinch-hit with an RBI single into left, putting the Lions back ahead this time for good.
Kamryn McCool came out of the bullpen to finish the final two innings, striking out four enroute to her second save of the season.
GAME TWO | MSJ 9 - DU 7
This time it was the Big Red who jumped out to an early lead, scoring a pair in the top of the first inning and another in the top of the second.Â
Staring a 3-0 deficit in the face the Lions began to chip away in the bottom of the second inning, Woodyard singled to lead off the innning. An out later
Casey Bramble doubled down the RF line, with Woodyard scoring on the chaos that ensued as Denison threw the ball around the infield, Bramble was out trying to advance to third on the play. Tucker then laced a double to straight away left and scored on Otto's first triple of the season.Â
The Mount pushed across four more in the bottom of the 4th, with a 2-run homerun off the bat of Tucker as the big blow in the inning. The continued to play add-on in the 5th scoring two more runs pushing the lead out to 8-3.
With McCool now in the mound in relief of
Gracie Smith, the Lions had to like their chances as the game headed in to the later innings. For the first time this year though McCool struggled with her command, walking 7 batters in 5.2 innings. Denison scored four times in the top of the sixth to make it a one run game, they did so despite only registering a single hit in the inning.Â
The Lions added a much needed insurance run in the bottom of the 6th, with Bramble lacing and RBI double down the left field line.Â
Kam went back to the mound in the seventh trying to close it out and give the Lions their fifth victory in a row. Denison did threaten in the inning but McCool would not give in. Despite not having her best stuff she battled the entire game and gave the Mount enough of an opportunity to get the job done!
UP NEXT:
The Lions (9-5, 0-0 HCAC) will again be at home as they welcome the Tigers of Wittenberg to Kinder Morgan on Saturday, the games are scheduled to get underway at 2 pm!
