CINCINNATI, Ohio – On Tuesday April 30
th, The Mount St. Joseph Softball program would play their final home game of the year as they played host to the Ohio Northern Polar Bears. In game one, a much-anticipated pitchers dual did not disappoint as
Casey Kemp Shined again leading the Lions to a 3-1 win. In game two, the bats would come alive as the Lions came up with 8 runs on 13 hits thanks to the top of the order going 9-14 and 6 RBI's.
GAME ONE: ONU 1 – MSJ 3
In game one of the afternoon, the two evenly matched teams would battle for all seven innings. Through the first 3 innings, each team would only be able to scratch across one hit. In the bottom of the fourth inning the Lions found their way to hang a crooked number. After a leadoff single from
Sydney Hughbanks and a walk. The Lions would have their first runner in scoring position. Senior
Kaci Finchum would knock a ball through the left side to load the bases with no outs. With the pressure on the base paths, the ball would get away from the ONU pitcher allowing the Lions to score their first run off of a wild pitch. With the red-hot
Casey Kemp at the plate, the Senior pitcher would deliver once again with a drive to the right center gap scoring two more runs and giving the Mount a 3-0 lead.
The 3-0 lead would be more than enough for Kemp to shut down the game and lead the Lions to a win. Ohio Northern would poise a threat in the 6
th. After scoring a run and runners sitting at first and second no outs. Kemp would force the Polar Bears to hit back-to-back ground balls in the infield getting the force out at third base then making the final batter fly out the center field after a fantastic defensive play from
Emily McDonald to hold a 3-1 lead. In the final inning, ONU would show fight but it would not be enough as the Lions picked up a game one victory for their 18
th win on the season.
Casey Kemp was once again the catalysis for the Mount by pitching a complete game in the circle and picking up her 10
th win on the season. Along with her production in the circle, Kemp would come up with the winning at-bat driving in 2 RBI's. Freshman
Alayna Flynn also had a respectable day going 2 for 3 at the plate and stealing a base.
GAME TWO: ONU 4 – MSJ 8
In the second game of the afternoon, the bats would be alive early as each team would score in the first two innings of play. After ONU put up a pair of runs in the first,
Macy Cornelius has shined in the leadoff role for the Lions with a leadoff double. After Cornelius was able to move to third on a sac bunt,
Sydney Hughbanks lined a ball up the middle to center field cutting the deficit to 2-1 after the first. ONU would not go away quietly scoring the run right back in the second. In the bottom of the second, the Lions started the inning once again with an extra base hit. This time, Sophomore
Courtney Keller would hit her first homerun of the season, inching closer to the MSJ Career record, with a ball over the left field wall. The order would then be flipped back to the top after back-to-back errors from the ONU defense which put the tying run in scoring position. The top of the order duo of Cornelius and
Emily McDonald then delivered singles to center field each earning an RBI and giving the Mount a 4-3 lead.
After a quiet third inning from both sides, Ohio Northern looked to take control of the ballgame in the 4
th. With the game now tied and first and third with no outs, the Lions turned to
Hailey Johnson out of the bullpen. Johnson took advantage of the opportunity by shutting down the Polar bears and stranding the runners on the corners with a strikeout, popout, and a fly out to center. With the momentum all in favor of the Lions,
Macy Cornelius and
Emily McDonald continued to shine as the stars of the Lions offense. Cornelius quickly found herself aboard with a first pitch single down the Right field line and a stolen base to follow. McDonald then repeated with an RBI single scoring Macy and then stealing second base to keep a runner in scoring position with no outs. After a ground out,
Lauryn Miller singled a ball through the middle of the ONU defense scoring McDonald and giving the Lions a 6-4 advantage. With two outs, back-to-back singles from
Maddie Kennedy and
Courtney Keller scored the Lions their 7
th run with an error on a throw from the center fielder.
The Lions would plate their final insurance run of the game in the fifth inning as Flynn would draw a walk then moved into scoring position with a sac bunt. Flynn would then be driven in by a RBI ground out and securing the Lions a 8-4 victory after shutdown pitching in the final two innings from Hailey.
The top four in the Lions order were outstanding in the ball game going a combined 9-14 and driving in 6 RBI's. Cornelius and McDonald each would go a perfect 3-3 in the game while each stealing a pair of bases. In relief,
Hailey Johnson picked up her third win of the season going the final 4 innings allowing only two hits and striking out one.
UP NEXT: The Lions will conclude their regular season play on the road this week with another HCAC double-header match-ups against Earlham College on Thursday and then finally Defiance College on Saturday May 4
th.
