CINCINNATI, Ohio – Over the weekend, your Mount St. Joseph Softball team opened up conference play at home against the grizzles of Franklin College. Game number one was another dominant performance for the Junior pitcher
Casey Kemp who shut out the grizzles on only 6 hits. In game number two, the Lions used timely hitting along with a Homerun late by
Maddie Kennedy to earn a 7-2 victory.
GAME ONE: MSJ 8 – Franklin 0
In game one, the Lions handed the ball to their ace
Casey Kemp as they looked to start conference play on the right track. The Lions who are defending their HCAC tournament title from a season ago, wasted no time showing their firepower as in the 2
nd inning
Elizabeth Ivers blasted a two run homerun to give the Lions a 2-0. The homerun would be Ivers 4
th on the season as she sits 3
rd on the team in homerun. Through 4 innings, Kemp halted every Grizz opportunity as every time Franklin found a runner in scoring position the inning was ended. After the Grizzlies were set down in order in the 4
th, the Lions were able to add some insurance as the inning began with a walk and a pair of hits by
Kaci Finchum and Ivers to load the bases with one out. Senior Sarah Kardos was asked to pitch hit as she drove in a pair of Lions runners with a single through the right side of the infield. In the bottom of the 5
th the bats remained hot as back to back doubles by
Macy Cornelius and
Courtney Keller gave the Lions a 5-0 advantage. After a lineout,
Maddie Kennedy sent a ball over the wall for her 4
th homerun on the year to grow the lead to 7-0. After Kemp set down the Grizzlies in order, the Lions were able to walk the game off in the bottom of the 6
th innings by run rule as the Lions drew a pair of walks then later scoring on a throwing error by Franklin.
Elizabeth Ivers was the leader in the Lions win offensively going 3-3 with a homerun and 2 RBI's.
Kaci Finchum and
Courtney Keller also went a respectable 2-3 as both hit for a double as Keller drove in an RBI. In the circle,
Casey Kemp would go 6 innings allowing 6 hits while picking up 3 strikeouts and her third shutout of the season.
GAME TWO: MSJ 7 – Franklin 2
The second game of the Doubleheader was a pitcher dual between the two teams. Mount St. Joseph Freshman
Courtney Keller was very successful in the first 4 innings allowing the Grizzlies to only manage 1 hit. Going into the bottom of the 4
th the Lions were yet to find the hit column but that was ended as leadoff batter
Ali Lang single to Left field. Following a Sac bunt,
Macy Cornelius smoked another double in the gap scoring Lang from second giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. Then Keller would help herself by adding insure off of a single scoring the second run of the game for the Mount giving them a 2-0 advantage. In the 5
th, the Grizzlies would find the run column as they scored a run to draw a bit closer heading to the bottom of 5. The Lions stared the bottom half with a single from Lauren Miller and an error by Franklin to give them 1
st and 2
nd with no outs. Franklin quickly held their composer as they got two straight outs as the lineup turned over and Lang delivered with a ball down the left field line scoring a run to make it 3-1. Sophomore
Kelsi Stevenson then roped a single to right field scoring two more as the Lions led 5-1 heading to the 6
th. In the 6
th after Franklin once again scored making it 5-2,
Courtney Keller lined a single up the middle which was quickly followed by a
Maddie Kennedy Homerun for her second of the Double header and her 5
th of the season boosting the Lions lead to 7-2. Down to their final 3 outs Franklin was looking to bat as the Lions brought in
Casey Kemp to close the game out as she did so in order earning her first career Save for the Lions.
Ali Lang and
Courtney Keller led the Lions going 2-4 as both would add an RBI on the afternoon.
Maddie Kennedy blew the game open after going 1-3 with a two run Blast. Keller also provided the Lions with 5 and a third innings allowing 6 hits and 2 runs and striking out 3.
The Lions will be back in action this week as they play host to Asbury University with a doubleheader at 3:30 and 5:30 PM.
