CHICAGO – Today at the Holmgren Athletic Complex, the Mount Mary University softball team (4-12) split their doubleheader with host North Park University (2-16). Although leading at one point, MMU lost game one 8-6, but then came back to win game two 6-3 as they snap their four-game losing streak.
The Blue Angels got out to a quick lead in the day's first game when senior Jess Runge (Freedom, Wis.) led the contest off with a deep triple to left center field. Audrey Beck (Fr./Costa Mesa, Calif.) followed up Runge's extra base hit with a double of her own which gave MMU the 1-0 lead.
The Vikings tied the game up in their turn in the second when an unearned run crossed the plate following the one-out throwing error by Runge from the shortstop position. Then NPU took the lead in the fourth inning after a sacrifice bunt setup an RBI single from Kendall Podschweit which made things 2-1.
Amelia Flint (Jr./Whitefish Bay, Wis.) scored Jess Runge on an RBI double the next half inning to tie things up, but that tie lasted only three more outs.
NPU broke free for six runs after they batted around the order in the bottom of the fifth. A fielder's choice turned two-RBI "double" and a flyout lost in the sun with two outs led to four of those six runs and gave the Vikings a comfortable 8-2 lead.
Foreshadowing their tenacity for game two, the Blue Angels scratched and clawed for four runs off five hits in the top of the seventh inning. In fact, the Blue Angels scored all four runs with two outs, and MMU had the bases loaded when the final out was recorded. That made a total of 12 runners left on base for the Blue Angels in seven innings.
Hannah Harnsberger (Fr./Hillsboro, Ore.) got the loss in 4.1 innings giving up five runs, four earned runs and seven hits.
Five Blue Angels finished the first contest with multi-hit games and Sidnee Turnage led them all going 3-of-4 from the plate.
In game two, the Blue Angels got a sneak-peak into the potential future of yet another promising freshmen Katie Arce (Cypress, Calif.) who finished the 6-3 win going a perfect 4-of-4 from the plate. The freshman third basemen crushed two doubles and drove in a pair of runners in the second contest.
The two teams played even for the first two innings of the second game, but the Blue Angels broke things open in the third inning. MMU batted around the order for the first time this season in the third which was highlighted by one of the Arce RBI doubles and a two-RBI single from Turnage.
NPU answered back in bottom half of the third on a two-RBI single from Sami Creachbaum with two outs.
MMU got some insurance in the sixth inning on the second Arce RBI-double which scored Runge from second base.
The Vikings then got a run back on a leadoff homerun from Jackie Calba making things 6-3, but NPU could not cut into the lead further.
Nine Blue Angels recorded a hit in the second game while Arce and Turnage led with two RBIs each.
Freshman hurler Adrianna Nester (Anaheim, Calif.) got the decision and finished with the complete game surrendering three earned runs and seven hits while striking out four.
The Blue Angels will have a few days to rest, then they will host their first home game of the season Sat. Apr. 8 against Maranatha Baptist University (2-6). The Sabercats and Blue Angels will throw the first pitch at 12:00 pm at Wisconsin Lutheran Field. Live statistics will be available at mtmaryathletics.com.
