MILWAUKEE – After a long, 50-day layoff, the Blue Angels softball squad returned to action Monday night, traveling to crosstown rival Alverno College. The host Inferno took advantage of rough innings by Mount Mary hurlers in each game, posting a pair of victories 25-2 and 13-3.
The long layoff seemingly had no effect on Mount Mary's efforts in the first game, as after giving up a run in the bottom of the second, a perfectly executed double-steal scored sophomore third baseman Dani Christian (Elcho, Wis.). With senior centerfielder Emily Barker (Oconomowoc, Wis.) standing safely at second, senior shortstop Katie Wolk (Oshkosh, Wis.) blasted a shot to deep left center for the team's first RBI of the game, and first lead of the season.
Alverno responded with a run in the bottom of the third, followed by a barrage of walks and timely hits to post 23 runs in the inning alone. Mount Mary could not answer, falling by a final score of 25-2.
Sophomore catcher-turned-pitcher Katie Edwards (Mackinaw, Ill.) took the loss for the Blue Angels, but gave up just six hits with a strikeout. Christian came on in relief in the fourth, giving up five hits and earned her first strikeout of the season.
Head Coach Melinda Wallace put Christian back in the circle to start game two, but a pair of Mount Mary fielding errors and patient hitting from Alverno saw the Inferno post an 8-spot in the bottom of the first inning.
Alverno would eventually take a 12-0 lead after three innings, before finally the Blue Angels got on the scoreboard. Christian hit a dribbler back to the pitcher that scored freshman left fielder Tracy Boutell (Brown Deer, Wis.) in the fourth inning, and senior Ashley Leverenz (Mauston, Wis.) pasted one to deep left center to score junior shortstop Nicole Ordway (Republic, Wash.). Sophomore right fielder Nina Her (Brown Deer, Wis.) also hit one past the Alverno right fielder, scoring Leverenz, but that was all Mount Mary could muster, falling 13-3 in five innings.
Barring another cancellation, Mount Mary's next game will be against Milwaukee School of Engineering at Hart Park, Friday April 19 at 3pm and 5 pm. Should MSOE's Wednesday games against Rockford be rained out, the MSOE/MMC double-header will be moved to Saturday afternoon, also at Hart Park. Stay tuned to these and our Facebook pages for updates.
