Lady Cougars Swept at Home by No. 14 Knights

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University softball team (18-15, 11-14 CL) returned home to play in a conference game against No. 14 Marian University (29-5, 19-3 CL) on Saturday, April 12.  

Game 1 Summary: 

The game started quietly until the Knights broke the silence with a run in the top of the third, followed by another in the fourth, giving them a 2-0 lead. The Lady Cougars made a push in the bottom of the seventh. Kiera Mayer led off with a single to the pitcher, then advanced to second after a walk from Sydney Elliot. Zhari Hill came through in the clutch, knocking a single that brought Mayer home and tightened the score to 2-1. Unfortunately, that would be it for the Lady Cougars, as the Knights held on to take the first game.  

Nadia Hoffman delivered a strong performance in the circle, racking up five strikeouts with 76 strikes and allowing just six hits on the day through seven innings. 

Game 2 Summary: 

Marian broke open the second game in the top of the fifth inning, putting five runs on the board to take a 5-0 lead. The Knights added three more runs in the same inning, extending their lead to 8-0. The Lady Cougars answered with a run of their own, as Kylie Rohr singled to center, stole second, and then scored on an RBI single by Hill, making it 8-1. In the top of the sixth, the Knights tacked on one final run to close out the game with a 9-1 victory. 

What's Next: 

The Lady Cougars will be back on the road as they head to Fort Wayne, Indiana to take on the University of Saint Francis on Tuesday, April 15 at 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.