MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University and Maranatha Baptist University rivalry has gone on since the Blue Angels (4-12) and the Sabercats (2-10) both donned the same retired nickname. Since the two teams decided to cast aside the Crusaders moniker, they have played a combination of 29 times on the softball diamond. Although MMU may lead the all-time series, sports fans know to throw out records when rivals come to town. Today at the WLC Softball Field, these two teams will test the rivalry again.
This season the Blue Angels have received a huge offensive boost from a myriad of freshmen and new comers. Recently, Katie Arce (Fr./Cypress, Calif.) earned her first Association of Division III Independents award after crushing the ball against North Park University (5-23). After finishing her doubleheader against the Vikings with a stellar 4-of-4 performance from the plate which include two RBI-doubles, MMU picked up the victory to gather their fourth win of the season.
Along with Arce, Sidnee Turnage (Fr./Hesperia, Calif.), Audrey Beck (Fr./Costa Mesa, Calif.), and Amelia Flint (Jr./Whitefish Bay, Wis.) have been routinely hitting the ball where the defense is not. Turnage has not missed a game or an at-bat this year. Along with being the poster child for roster stability, Turnage is hitting an impressive .413 and leads her Blue Angels in hits (19).
Beck has collected the most RBIs this season for the Blue Angels and uses her blazing speed to lead MMU in stolen bases and extra-base hits as well. Teammate Amelia Flint is second in extra base hits and the outfielder also uses her wheels to her advantage as she leads MMU with two homeruns, one of which was recorded as an inside the park homerun.
The Sabercats also have multiple student-athletes with batting averages over .300. Leading them all is Allison Epperly. The junior anchors her team with a .429 batting average in the Sabercats 12 games this season. Teammate Hannah May is also in the .400 club and has pulled in seven RBIs to this point in her freshman year.
Another Sabercat freshmen leads the team in RBIs and extra-base hits. Along with bringing in a .371 batting average on the year, Harmony Bailey supports a .629 slugging percentage.
In the circle the Blue Angels may have the slight edge with a team ERA of 6.42, which is 3.6 runs per game less than the Sabercats.
Today's game has been officially moved to a 2:00 pm start time. Those who cannot make the journey can follow live stats at mtmaryatheltics.com.
