DEFIANCE, Ohio - On Saturday, April 23rd your Mount St. Joseph University Lions traveled to Defiance College to take on the Yellow Jackets in a HCAC matchup. The Lions were dominant again in conference play sweeping the Yellow Jackets. In game one the Lions had to fight for the victory going an extra inning to defeat the Yellow Jackets 1-0. In game two the Lions woke up their bats and cruised right by the Yellow Jackets by a score of 9-2. The Lions' pitching was dominant in the sweep of Defiance allowing 0 earned runs through two games.
GAME ONE: MSJ - 1 DEFIANCE - 0
The Lions' ace
Kamryn McCool took the circle in game one and pitched a terrific game. McCool was mowing down hitters from start to finish pitching a complete game shut out. McCool finished with 8 innings pitched allowing just 3 hits, striking out 8 batters without giving up a run. However, the Lions offense could not find their footing and didn't get a run across until extra innings.
The Lions were held quiet through the first 7 innings of play but in extras the Lions would strike.
Ali Lang began the inning on second base and advanced to third on a ground out. Following another out
Rachel Gabbard would draw a walk setting the stage for
Casey Bramble. With runners on the corners and two outs Bramble would reach first on an error by the Defiance shortstop as Lang came around to score. This would end up being the game winning run for the Lions as they claimed victory in extra innings 1-0.
GAME TWO: MSJ - 9 DEFIANCE - 2
Sophomore
Casey Kemp took the circle for the Lions in game two. Kemp followed McCool's masterful performance with a great one of her own. Kemp pitched 7 innings giving up just 6 hits on 2 runs (both unearned) while striking out 3 en route to her 12th victory of the season.
Offensively the Lions were quiet again through the first 4 innings of play. Defiance would take the lead in the bottom half of the 4th adding a pair of runs which thankfully woke up The Mount's bats. The Lions would respond nicely to the pair of runs surrendered by adding 7 runs in the top half of the 5th.
Emily McDonald would get the hitting started for the Lions with a double to right field. She would later score on a Defiance error cutting the Lions deficit to just one. After the error
Kelsi Stevenson and
Macy Cornelius would hit back-to-back singles loaded up the bases for the clean-up hitter
Rachel Gabbard. Gabbard would take advantage of the golden opportunity singling through the left side bringing in the tying run.
Casey Bramble was next for the Lions in another huge spot. With the bases loaded Bramble would single to right field scoring a pair of runners giving the Lions a 4-2 lead. But, The Mount wasn't done as
Maddie Kennedy would break the game open with a bases clearing triple followed by an RBI single from
Kaci Finchum giving the Lions a controlling 7-2 lead.
Casey Kemp would face the minimum in the bottom half of the 5th as the Lions stepped to the plate with their bats still hot.
Macy Cornelius would get the inning started with a single. After stealing 2nd base and a
Casey Bramble walk
Maddie Kennedy would deliver again for the Lions. Kennedy singled through the left side bringing in a pair of runners giving the Lions a 9-2 advantage. The Lions would provide 2 more scoreless half innings to complete the sweep winning game two, 9-2.
UP NEXT: Your Mount St. Joseph Lions will travel to Lexington, Ky. to take on conference foe Transylvania on Tuesday, April 26th. Games are scheduled to begin at 5pm & 7pm. For more updates on the Lions 2022 be sure to tune into msjlions.com!
