CLERMONT, Fla. – The Mount Mary University softball team dropped two games today during their spring trip. The Blue Angels lost game one against Keuka College 6-0, then Western New England University won their contest against MMU 11-2.
In game one, Hayley Smalley (Sr./Columbus, Ind.) started at pitcher for MMU. Smalley went 6.0 innings against the Wolves. The senior pitcher gave up six runs, three earned runs, off seven hits and four walks surrendered.
On offense, three separate Blue Angels finished the contest with multi-hit games. Alyssa Becker (Fr./Cudahy, Wis.) went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate and laid down a sacrifice bunt. Teammate Aislinn Strusz (So./Aurora, Ill.) went 2-for-3 and center field Adrianna Nester (Sr./Anaheim, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with a double.
The Wolves scored four runs in the third inning. After MMU collected the first two outs of the inning on the frame's first two batters, Keuka rallied and took the 1-0 lead on an RBI-double by Brittany Vergason. Then the Wolves added two more runs on an E9 that sent a runner to third. Keuka added the fourth run on a single before ending the inning ahead 4-0.
The Wolves made the score 6-0 in the bottom half of inning number four. Vergason delivered again with two outs hitting a single that scored runners from first and second.
In game two, Hannah Harnsberger (Sr./Hillsboro, Ore.) got the start in the circle. Harnsberger went 6.0 innings surrendering 11 runs, 10 earned runs off 18 hits. The senior hurler also struck out one batter in her 6-inning performance.
At the plate, Adrianna Nester led her team going 2-for-3 with one RBI. Teammate Brianna Ecker () started at third base and went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Both teams scored in the first inning in MMU's second contest of the day. The Golden Bears landed three runs off four hits. Two runs came off a two-out RBI single by Madison Murabito.
MMU scored their run in the bottom half of the inning freshman Brianna Ecker delivered with a one-out RBI single. The early rally ended with 6-4-3 double play.
The Blue Angels scored one more run in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Aislinn Strusz began the fourth with a single, then advanced to scoring position the next at-bat. With runners on first and second, Adrianna Nester drilled a single that scored Strusz from second base cutting the deficit to just one run.
With the score 3-2 in favor of the Golden Bears, WNEU took the plate in the top of the fifth. The Golden Bears began the inning with three straight hits and a run scored. At the end of the frame WNEU was able to add three more runs of a total of five hits.
The Golden Bears batted around the order in the sixth inning and turned six hits into five more runs to make the score 11-2.
The Blue Angels will have Monday off before returning to action on Tue. Mar. 17 against SUNY Geneseo at 8:00 AM CDT. Check back to MtMaryAthletics.com for more news and updates.
