Cincinnati, Ohio – The Mount St. Joseph University softball team celebrated Senior Day in style, sweeping Hanover College in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader. The Lions dominated both games, winning 9–4 in the opener and 11–3 in six innings in the second, while racking up a combined 24 hits on the day.
Game One | MSJ 9, Hanover 4
The Lions faced early adversity in game one, falling behind 2–0 after the first inning. However, MSJ quickly responded, cutting the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the first and tying it up 2–2 in the second.
After briefly trailing again, the fourth inning proved to be the turning point. With the bases loaded,
Macy Cornelius delivered an RBI single to even the score, setting the stage for
Shelby Rakosky, who launched a towering grand slam over the centerfield fence to give the Lions a commanding 7–4 lead.
MSJ added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning with RBI singles from Cornelius and
Emily McDonald, sealing the 9–4 win.
Game Two | MSJ 11, Hanover 3 (6 Innings)
The Lions wasted no time taking control in Game Two, scoring three runs in the first inning and extending their lead to 4–0 in the third thanks to a sacrifice fly from
Kiley Hankenhoff.
Rakosky continued her power surge with another home run, this time a solo shot to left field, adding to the Lions' offensive explosion.
Senior
Maddie Kennedy led the way at the plate, finishing the day with a scorching .625 batting average. She was joined by five other Lions who each hit .500 across the doubleheader:
Macy Cornelius,
Skylar Fletcher,
Emily McDonald,
Sydney Hughbanks, and
Lauryn Miller.
The Lions secured the run-rule victory after six innings, capping off a dominant afternoon.
Senior Day Recognition
Following the doubleheader, the MSJ softball team honored its six seniors for their contributions to the program:
Macy Cornelius,
Maddie Kennedy,
Emily McDonald,
Amanda Logeais,
Kiley Hankenhoff, and
Celeste Leopold.
Up Next: The Lions will look to keep their momentum rolling as they host Earlham College for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 29,. The games are scheduled for 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM. They will also face off against Transylvania University on Thursday,
