MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University softball team dropped a pair of games today against host Milwaukee School of Engineering. The Raiders jumped ahead in both affairs early on, and would never surrender their leads throughout the day winning game one 8-0 then winning game two 7-0.
In the first game the Blue Angels ran into some tough pitching. Shannon Curtis for the Raiders attacked early on in the counts, and MMU found themselves fighting just to stay alive at-bat after at-bat. This year, Curtis is throwing with a 3.04 ERA and is averaging five strikeouts a game. A big step up for Curtis as she finished the complete six innings striking out ten batters and only surrendering two hits.
Youngsters Ashley Contreras (Fr./College Station, Texas) and Payton Hintz (Fr./Almond, Wis.) had the only hits for MMU in game one.
Game two saw more of an offensive spark for the Blue Angels. Molly Peck (Fr./Milwaukee, Wis.) got things going right away for MMU with a leadoff single. Contreras subsequently knocked another base hit, setting up the first inning nicely. Nicole Weggen (Jr./Menomonee Falls, Wis.) followed up with a walk to load the bases with no outs to start off the second game. The Blue Angels could not capitalize however and left three runners on base.
While the Blue Angels cleaned up the defense in game two only surrendering one error, they found themselves leaving six runners on the bases. Going one for seven with runners in scoring position, the Blue Angels just could not find a way to get the runs home.
A very tough battle for the Blue Angels against a team that has pitched very well with a team ERA of 3.78. Now the Blue Angels will have to turn things around against a team they outscored 23-7, against a team with an almost totally different pitching staff.
The Blue Angels will have another pair of games on the road as they continue their season series with Maranatha Baptist University. The game will be in Watertown, Wis. on April 18th with first pitch of the doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm.
