Softball Survives Another Extra Inning Game, Stays Unbeaten In HCAC

N. MANCHESTER, Indiana - The first-place Mount St. Joseph softball team hit the road on Saturday to put their unbeaten Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference record on the line once again. They headed north to take on the Spartans of Manchester University who came into the weekend in third place in the HCAC standings. Once again the Lions had a tough time remaining unbeaten but were able to find a way to win to setup the massive showdown with Transylvania on Wednesday!

GAME ONE | MSJ 3 - Manchester 1 | WP: C. Kemp (14-3), LP K. Carr (12-5)

Game one of the day was a good old fashioned pitchers dual! Casey Kemp continued her run of outstanding starts in this one. She went the distance throwing a complete game five hit, six strikeout game. The lone run she allowed in the game was unearned.

Offensively Carr kept the Lions off balance as well, holding them to just five hits. Kaci Finchum was the lone Lion with more than one hit in the game. 

The Lions scored all of their runs over the first two innings, two in the first then one in the second. In the first  Kelsi Stevenson had a one-out walk and then Macy Cornelius doubled to straight away center field. Stevenson then scored on a ground out by Courtney Keller and Cornelius scored on a two-out basehit by Kemp. 

In the second inning Ivers reached via error to open the inning then Finchum doubled. They then scored their third and final run on a line out by Ali Lang to centerfield. 

The three runs was all Kemp needed to secure her 14th win of the season.

GAME TWO | MSJ 4 - Manchester 3 (8 Innings) | WP: C. Kemp (15-3) , LP: J. Gosnell (6-5)

In game two of the double-header coach Goderwis sent freshman Courtney Keller to the circle to start the game. Keller was looking for a bounce back performance after struggling a bit in her last outing. She was much better in this one going the front 4.0 innings allowing only a pair of hits, 1 earned run and striking out 3. 

Offensively the Lions were better in this one, putting up a 10-hit effort. Lang, Cornelius and Emily McDonald each had multi-hit games. 

Once again the Lions opened the scoring in the top of the first, they loaded the bases with two outs scoring the games first run as Cornelius raced home on a passed ball. 

The would add a run in the third and fourth, in the third it was a Rachel Gabbard RBI single and then in the fourth, Sara Kardos drove in the run with a groundout. 

Manchester bounced back with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning making the score 3-1. In the fifth inning the ball was turned back over to Kemp to shut down the Manchester rally. The junior was good but the Spartans did score a pair of unearned runs to tie the game and send it to extra innings.

In the 8th, Ivers was placed at second base to begin the inning, and was promptly lifted for a pinch runner in Casey Bramble. Bramble then raced home to give the Lions the 4-3 on a double to left by McDonald. 

Heading to the bottom of the 8th leading 4-3 the Lions still had work to do. After the runner was placed on second to begin the inning Kemp then hit the next batter. She would strike out the next hitter and Ivers completed the strikeout-throwout on a steal attempt of third base. Kemp then retired the final hitter of the game to secure the win.

UP NEXT:
The Lions face their biggest series of the HCAC season on Wednesday as they welcome the Transy Pioneers and their 11-1 HCAC record to the MSJ Softball Complex. The games are scheduled to begin at 4 & 6 PM.