SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Mount Mary University softball team lost both games in their doubleheader against host Robert Morris University-Springfield. The Eagles won game one 6-1, then took the second game 10-2 to make RMS 9-10 on the year while moving the Blue Angels to 0-4.
Game one saw the Eagles jump out to a quick 2-0 lead after a three first inning Blue Angel errors set up RMS with only one hit. Following the three errors to open the contest, the Blue Angels did not commit another for the rest of the game.
The Blue Angels kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for the next 2 innings, while in the top of the fourth inning, Payton Hintz (So./Almond, Wis.) laced a single through the right-side infield. Ashley Contreras (So./College Station, Texas) followed suit smashing a single in nearly the same fashion on the right infield. Then newcomer Peyton Davis (Fr./Tracy, Calif.) hit a single to short center field to bring in Hintz, and the Blue Angels first run of the game.
The Eagles added three more runs in the fourth, and an extra run in the sixth off a double from Erika Engleman making the score 6-1. The Blue Angels added one hit by senior Shandrieka Richardson (Atlanta, Ga.) in the top of the seventh, but could not bring the left fielder in.
Richardson and Davis led the first game each going 2-of-3 from the plate; Davis finished with the only RBI.
The second game saw the Eagles again get ahead early. Three runs, off of three hits and one Blue Angel error led off the bottom of the opening frame giving the Eagles the early lead. Adding at least one run in the bottom half of the next four innings, led to RMS enjoying a 8-0 lead going into the fifth.
Facing a "run rule", the Blue Angels tied together three timely hits of their own. The first was off the bat of freshman Katy Groth (Racine, Wis.) who recorded her first collegiate hit. Jess Runge (Jr./Freedom, Wis.) brought in Groth on a single to center field making it 8-1. Madison Ledda (Fr./Tracy, Calif.) then hit a deep shot to left center for the RBI double making it 8-2.
The Eagles added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning forcing the end of the game after five innings.
Ashley Contreras and Nikki Festge (Sr./Menomonee Falls, Wis.) each were given a loss on the day making them 0-2 each as starting pitchers.
"I was very proud of the team's effort today." Head Softball Coach Tim Edwards explained, "They could have given up during the fifth inning of game two, but they pulled together and gave us a very strong inning."
Now the Blue Angels will get ready to play Eureka College in a doubleheader Tues. Mar. 29 beginning at 3:00 and 5:00 pm respectively. This will mark the first time since joining the NCAA that the MMU will face the Red Devils on the diamond. Check for live updates and post-game stats at mtmaryathletics.com.
