The host Mount Vernon Nazarene University softball team swept Grace in Crossroads League play on Saturday, April 24, to surpass 20 wins on the 2021 season.
The Cougars also swept Spring Arbor University in Crossroads League play on Friday, April 23, in Mount Vernon.
Kaycee Ollis’ two-run homer gave MVNU the lead for good in the opener on Monday, April 26. But host Saint Francis ended MVNU’s five-game winning streak with a walk-off victory in Game 2 to earn a split in Crossroads League play.
MVNU had everything going for them in Game 1 as they used hot hitting and great pitching to secure a 10-0 win in five innings.
Ollis hit a two-run homer to put the Lady Cougars up 3-2 in the third inning of Monday’s game. RBIs from Macee Marcum and Katelyn Perkins in the fifth and sixth innings put the game away as MVNU went on to win 5-2.
Sheridan Sullivan picked up another win on Monday. The freshman pitched seven innings, giving up just five hits and two earned runs. She also struck out eight batters.
Sullivan was also dominant on Saturday, pitching a one-hit, complete game for MVNU. The offense helped early as it put up six runs in the first inning. Senior Courtney Knepper launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the second to put the game out of reach.
Saturday’s Game 2 saw another great pitching performance — this time from sophomore Macee Marcum, who went the distance while striking out seven Lancers.
Marcum also got run support early, thanks to a Maddison Ruhl RBI single in the bottom of the first. MVNU tacked on runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings on its way to a 4-1 victory.
The Friday opener was a close battle, as the score was tied 6-6 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. After a leadoff triple from Kylee Matern, the Cougars scored the go-ahead run on a double from Ollis to take the game by a final of 7-6.
Friday’s second game was not close, as MVNU lit up the scoreboard with 14 runs on 19 hits. A six-run third inning opened the flood gates for the Lady Cougars, who went on to run-rule Spring Arbor in five innings by a score of 14-0. Marcum was stellar in the circle for MVNU, pitching a complete-game shutout.
Along with the great pitching performance, Marcum was also on fire at the plate. She finished Game 2 four-for-four with six RBIs.
Mackenzie Hancock kept up her hot streak as she finished the first game two-for-four at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Marcum put MVNU on the board first in the top of the fourth inning of Monday’s second game with an RBI single to score Matern. That run, however, was the only one MVNU would get. USF tied the game in the bottom of the seventh and got the walk-off in the bottom of the ninth to take a 2-1 win.
Despite getting tagged with the loss, Marcum pitched a great game for MVNU. She went 8.1 innings, allowing seven hits and two unearned runs while striking out three.
TRACK AND FIELD
Morgan Forney and Alex Jenney each broke school records to lead MVNU in the Huntington Invitational on Saturday, April 24, at Huntington University.
A small group of throwers were also in action at the Ashland University Alumni Open. Kyler Dickey placed second in the shot put with a throw of 16.49 meters.
Jenney broke his own school record and placed first in the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 56.73 seconds.
Forney placed first in the women’s 5000m run and reset the school record with a time of 18:21.35.
The men’s 4x100m relay team of Chris Graber, Terril Skinner, Marvell Connor and Liam Near finished first with a time of 44.58 seconds.
The men’s 4x400m relay team of Nathan Whitney, Jenney, Jonathan Backus and Isaac Ramseyer placed second with a time of 3:36.30.
Skinner placed second in the 100m dash with a time of 11.33 seconds and fourth in the 200m dash with a time of 23.01 seconds.
Liam Near finished fifth in the men’s 400m dash with a time of 51.79 seconds.
Graber placed sixth in the long jump finals with a jump of 6.16 meters.
Avery Adkins finished first in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 18.26 seconds. She also made it to the 400m hurdle finals, placing fourth with a time of 1:23.14.
Maddie Kitchen, Vivienne Cutrupi and Ashley Rankin placed eighth, ninth and tenth in the 100m dash with times of 13.61, 13.69 and 13.76, respectively.
