Winter Haven, Florida – The Mount St. Joseph softball team took the field for their second day of competition in Florida, facing Benedictine University at 9:00 a.m. and Dominican University at 11:15 a.m. The Lions came out swinging in the opener, securing a dominant victory, but fell just short in a comeback attempt in game two, splitting the day's contests.
Game One: MSJ: 11 – Benedictine: 4
The Lions wasted no time getting on the board, scoring four runs in the second inning to jump ahead early.
Alayna Flynn sparked the offense with a single, allowing pinch-runner
Skylar Fletcher to cross the plate. Benedictine responded with three runs of their own, but the Lions' bats stayed hot throughout the game.
MSJ racked up an impressive 19 hits, nearly doubling Benedictine's eight.
Shelby Rakosky and
Macy Cornelius each tallied doubles, while Rakosky also added a triple to her stat line.
Emily McDonald and Flynn contributed with stolen bases, applying pressure on the opposing defense.
Freshmen
Alix Streeval and
Calli Fletcher saw their first collegiate at-bats, with C. Fletcher driving in a run on a sacrifice fly and Streeval reaching base via a walk. Pinch-hitter
Kiley Hankenhoff also delivered a hit, adding to the Lions' offensive showcase.
Game Two: MSJ: 5 – Dominican: 6
The Lions struggled to find their rhythm early, falling behind 6-0 after Dominican capitalized on a pair of home runs in the first three innings. However, MSJ refused to go down quietly.
The comeback effort started in the fifth inning when Madison Kennedy's infield single plated McDonald for the Lions' first run.
Kayla Bain followed with an RBI single, and
Sydney Hughbanks added another base hit to keep the rally alive.
Mackinley Lawson then delivered a clutch home run, bringing MSJ within one at 6-5.
Despite the late push, the Lions were unable to complete the comeback, falling to Dominican in seven innings just as the Florida rain rolled in.
Next Up: The MSJ Lions return to action on Friday, March 7, facing Illinois College at 9:00 a.m. and Heidelberg University at 11:15 a.m.
