MILWAUKEE - The Mount Mary University softball team will play its lone regular season double-header Friday evening, hosting Maranatha Baptist for a 3 p.m. start at 5Diamonds Softball Complex in Waukesha, Wis. The Blue Angels and Sabercats will then switch venues for a Saturday twin bill starting at noon in Brandt-Quirk Park in Watertown, Wis.
SCHEDULE/RESULTS | ROSTER | STATISTICS
LAST TIME OUT
Mount Mary (2-19 overall) dropped a pair of double-headers last week, falling to University of Chicago 7-4 and 4-2 Tuesday, then 9-2 and 10-1 to North Central College on Friday evening. Offense was hard to come by in the most recent defeat to NCC as the Blue Angels mustered just five total hits over the two-game series.
YOUTH SHINING THROUGH
Newcomers have made immediate impacts for the Blue Angels offensively, with freshman Sam Allen (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Rolling Meadows) leading the team in several offensive categories. Allen's .369 batting average, .431 on-base percentage, and .585 slugging percentage are all team-highs and rank among the top ten in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference. The freshman leads MMU with eight extra-base hits, 14 RBI, and a pair of homeruns. Additionally, she has recorded a hit in all but five games this season, including a 13-game hit streak lasting from February 26 to April 7.
Right behind Allen is fellow freshman Brianna Lupa (Plano, Ill./Plano), whose .308 batting average ranks among the top C2C pitchers. Her seven RBI rank second on the team, tied with sophomore Brianna Ecker (Fond du Lac, Wis./Stockbridge). Junior Aislinn Strusz (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) has been strong at the plate this season as well, batting .290 overall with 18 hits and a team-high four stolen bases.
A PITCHING PLATOON
Speaking of pitching, Lupa has been the workhorse in the Blue Angel bullpen all year, with 11 starts and 13 appearances, and 69.1 innings of work. Her 3.43 ERA ranks sixth among C2C pitchers. Sophomore Kaitlyn Gilpin (Lyons, Ill./Lyons Township) has appeared in 10 games, starting six. Senior Hannah Harnsberger (Hillsboro, Ore./Jesuit), junior Lauren Nylund (Muskego, Wis./Muskego), and sophomore Jalyssa Rivera (Waukesha, Wis./North) have also put in appearances this season. As a staff, MMU has an ERA of 5.60 through 120 innings pitched.
SCOUTING THE SABERCATS
Maranatha Baptist (3-9 overall) also went winless last week, losing 15-3 and 15-1 to Finlandia in a pair of five-inning contests Friday.
MBU has four hitters batting over .400 on the season, led by sophomore Liberty Bailey's team-high .474 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, and .737 slugging percentage. Senior Alexis Sponable is right behind her with a .464 average with 13 hits and seven RBI, and senior Taylor Thome leads the Sabercats with 18 hits and 20 RBI while batting .450 overall. Sophomore Dani Chaney leads the team with two homeruns on the year.
A pair of pitchers have seen time in the circle so far this season, led by senior Erin Yancey's nine appearances in 44.2 innings pitched. Bailey is 1-3 on the season in four appearances.
A RIVALRY RENEWED
MBU has been by far the most frequent opponent on Mount Mary's schedule, playing 41 times since the Blue Angels' initial NCAA Division III affiliation in 2010.
MMU leads the all-time series, 33-8 overall, and currently own a 23-game win streak over their closest rivals. The two teams have not played since 2018, when MMU won all six matchups by an average of 9.33 runs per game. The Sabercats last defeated Mount Mary on April 25, 2014, dominating a double-header sweep at Kulwicki Park.
MMU ALL-SPORT SENIOR CELEBRATION
As if a Friday afternoon home game weren't enough to celebrate, MMU Athletics will be honoring outbound seniors across all six Blue Angel sports programs. A short ceremony is planned for between the softball games Friday, where all 17 graduates and their guests will be honored. Call time for the MMU Athletics All-Sport Senior Celebration is 4:00 pm.
