North Manchester, Ind. – The Mount St. Joseph University softball team hit the road for an HCAC doubleheader against Manchester University on Saturday afternoon. The Lions came out strong in game one, securing a late-inning victory, but couldn't replicate that momentum in game two, falling to the Spartans to split the series.
Game One | MSJ 9 – MU 2
The Lions wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning, as
Macy Cornelius came around to score on an RBI single by
Shelby Rakosky. Manchester answered in the second with two runs of their own, briefly taking the lead before the game turned into a pitcher's duel.
MSJ tied things back up in the fifth when Cornelius scored again, this time on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of
Emily McDonald.
Then came the seventh inning – and the Lions came alive. Five hits, aggressive base running, and a handful of Manchester miscues opened the floodgates. MSJ piled on six runs in the frame, breaking the game wide open and sealing a commanding win.
Lesleigh Reimers was dominant in the circle, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing just one hit and one walk while facing 17 batters. She shut the door in the final frame, forcing three straight flyouts to center field to end the game.
Game Two | MSJ 0 – MU 3
The second game proved tougher for the Lions, who struggled to find rhythm at the plate despite solid contact throughout the game.
Freshman third baseman
Shelby Rakosky continued to shine, recording two doubles.
Emily McDonald and
Kiley Hankenhoff each added a stolen base, showing fight on the base paths, but MSJ couldn't find the timely hits to drive runners in.
Manchester capitalized with a pair of key hits — a single in the second and a double in the fourth — to account for all three of their runs. The Spartans' pitching duo held the Lions in check, allowing six hits but only one walk across seven innings to secure the shutout.
Up Next: MSJ returns home to host the Berea Mountaineers at the MSJ Softball Complex on Wednesday, April 23rd. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4:00 PM on River Road.
