Hot Hitting Leads to Sweep of Maple Leafs

GOSHEN, Ind. — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University softball team (11-7, 4-5 CL) played in a road conference doubleheader at the Goshen College Maple Leafs (7-10, 3-4 CL) on Friday, March 21.  

Game 1 Summary: 

The Lady Cougars came out strong, quickly putting the ball into play and moving their runners into scoring positions. Kiera Mayer hit her second home run of the season, sending a pitch to center field to score Mollie Pentz. MVNU struck first, picking up four runs in the top of the first inning, but Goshen quickly responded, tying the game at 4-4 with four runs of their own. 

Both teams were quiet until the top of the fifth inning. Jessenia Montalvo started the surge with a single to right field, followed by Pentz reaching base on an error. Skylar Zimmerman then got on base via a hit by pitch, loading the bases for Avery Miller. Miller capitalized on the opportunity, blasting a grand slam to clear the bases. The Lady Cougars added one more run in the fifth, taking a 9-4 lead. 

Goshen managed to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Lady Cougars' bats were still hot in the top of the seventh. Sophie Durbin led off with a single to center, followed by Kylie Rohr, who also singled. Montalvo then stepped up to the plate and belted a ball deep to center, bringing in three runs. Pentz followed with a double, then came home on a Zimmerman single. Miller added another RBI with a single of her own, scoring Zimmerman. The Cougars went on to win the first game 14-6. 

Game 2 Summary: 

MVNU dominated in game two against the Maple Leafs, coming away with a 19-2 victory. The Lady Cougars racked up 19 hits throughout the game. Zimmerman made a statement early, hitting her first career home run as a Lady Cougar in the top of the first inning. Zimmerman then followed it up with a second home run in the fifth. The first inning continued with singles from Sydney Elliott, Miller, and Pentz, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead. The Maple Leafs answered with two runs, cutting the lead to 3-2. 

In the top of the second, Zhari Hill started the inning with a double to right-center and later scored on an error. Miller added a hit up the middle, scoring Rohr, and the Lady Cougars extended their lead to 5-2. Over the next two innings, the Lady Cougars poured on five runs each in the third and fourth innings, bringing the score to 15-2. In the final innings, the Cougars added four more runs, closing out the doubleheader with a dominant 19-2 win. 

What's Next: 

The Lady Cougars will return to the Cougar Softball Field on Tuesday, March 25 as it hosts Indiana Wesleyan University. Game one of the doubleheader is set for 3:00 p.m. 

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 33 states and 26 foreign countries.