CLERMONT, Fla. – The Mount Mary University softball team won both games during today's doubleheader. The Blue Angels came from behind early to win game one 11-5 over the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, then MMU defeated North Central University 8-0 in game two.
As a team, three different Blue Angels finished game one with multi-hit games. At the plate, the Blue Angels stretched their at bats with extra foul balls and waiting for their pitches. The batting was timely as well in game one as MMU hit .353 with runners in scoring position against the Bobcats.
Sophomore Taylor Hienbuecher (Sycamore, Ill.) went a perfect 2-for-2 against UPG. Teammate Hayley Smalley (Sr./Columbus, Ind.) went 2-of-4 from the dish with an RBI and freshman shortstop Brianna Ecker (Fond du Lac, Wis.) went 2-of-4 at the plate with two RBIs.
Six Blue Angels drove home runs in the win against the Bobcats. Senior Hannah Harnsberger (Hillsboro, Ore.) led the team with three RBIs and a triple in the team's win Friday morning.
Adrianna Nester (Sr./Anaheim, Calif.) got the win in the circle in the day's first game. Nester went the full 7.0 innings giving up 11 hits, five earned runs while striking out five batters. Nester is 3-2 on the season in her decisions.
After a lead off hit-by-pitch and walk issued by Nester, a single by the Bobcats gave UPG an early 1-0 lead. The Blue Angels got out of the inning without any further scoring, then the Blue Angels played some "small-ball" to tie things up in the second.
Back-to-back leadoff walks for the Blue Angels gave Harnsberger an opportunity with a runner in scoring position and no outs. Harnsberger hit a ball to short, but as her teammate broke for home plate, Harnsberger overran first intentionally to score the runner and advance the other baserunner. The savvy play tied things at 1-1.
In the top half of the third inning, the Bobcats scored three runs off four hits. Back-to-back singles to lead off the inning led to a two-run single by Jen Miller.
Down 4-1, the Blue Angels responded with a five-run inning. After a pair of walks and a single, Brianna Ecker laced a single that scored two runners shrinking the deficit to one. Kaitlyn Gilpin (Fr./Lyons, Ill.) pinch hit in the third and came through with a 2-RBI single that gave MMU the lead. Following another RBI by Harnsberger, the Blue Angels went into the fourth with a 6-4 lead.
MMU added four runs off three hits in the fourth inning. Pitcher Adrianna Nester got into the scoring column with an RBI double in the inning. After four, the Blue Angels held a 10-4 lead.
The Bobcats scored one run in the top of the sixth, but the Blue Angels added one more run in their turn in the sixth. Harnsberger scored the runner from first base with a two-out triple.
In game two, the lead for the Blue Angels began in the second inning and was never given up thereafter. Four separate Blue Angels had multi-hit games against NCU; four Blue Angels finished the game with RBIs.
Harnsberger delivered again in the second contest, the senior third basemen/pitcher again led her team with three RBIs against the Rams. Pitcher Hayley Smalley also added two RBIs in game two.
Smalley went 4.0 innings without giving up a hit while striking out five batters. Gilpin went 2.0 innings in the circle and held her opponents scoreless and surrendered two hits.
Ecker led the team on offense going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Harnsberger went 2-for-3 in game two with one triple.
After Harnsberger go-ahead triple in the second inning, the Blue Angels took a 2-0 lead. Then in the top half of the third inning, the Blue Angels added three more runs off four hits. Smalley and Ecker delivered back-to-back RBI-singles in the third that began their offensive run.
In the fourth inning, Kirsten George (Jr./Fairborn, Ohio) led the inning off with a double. Following a groundout, Taylor Hienbuecher added a run on an RBI-double. Smalley hit an RBI-single in the fourth as MMU stretched the lead to 7-0.
The Blue Angels forced the eight-run rule in the sixth inning after a sacrifice fly by Gilpin gave the Blue Angels an 8-0 lead and MMU held the Rams scoreless in the bottom half of the frame.
The schedule for the spring trip is being updated daily, please check MtMaryAthletic.com for changes. MMU is now scheduled to play Alverno College at 8:00 am tomorrow morning followed by Dominican University at 10:15 am, both times are in Central Daylight Time.
