Lady Cougars Open Season with Pair of Victories
MELBOURNE, Fla.– The Mount Vernon Nazarene University softball team (2-0) opened its season in Melbourne, Florida at the Space Coast Spring Games with a doubleheader against Hannibal-LaGrange University (1-4) and the University of Michigan Dearborn (2-7) on Monday, March 2.
In the first game, Hannibal jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Lady Cougars answered in the top of the third when Dakota Staffan launched a home run to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 1-2.
In the fourth, Jesenia Montalvo tripled to right-center and later scored to even the game at 2–2. Staffan continued her strong performance with a single to center field that brought home Zhari Hill, giving the Lady Cougars their first lead of the game at 3–2.
The offense stayed hot in the sixth inning. Hill led off with a double to right-center and scored on a double by Skylar Zimmerman. Staffan capped off her standout day with another double to right-center, driving in Zimmerman and extending the lead to 5–2, which would stand as the final score.
Bailey Sheets made her first start of the season and recorded one strikeout. Makenzie Delaney also earned her first career save as a Lady Cougar, pitching three innings with one strikeout.
The victory over Hannibal-LaGrange marked Mark Pratt's first win as head coach of the Lady Cougars.
In game two, Dearborn jumped out to an early 3–0 lead in the top of the first inning, but MVNU quickly answered. Hill sparked the response with a double down the left field line. Kiera Mayer followed with a single up the middle to score Hill, and Delaney added another RBI single to bring Staffan home. Montalvo then doubled down the left field line, driving in two more runs to give the Lady Cougars a 5–3 advantage by the end of the inning.
In the bottom of the second, Staffan blasted her second home run of the season, scoring two and extending MVNU's lead to 7–3.
The Wolverines battled back in the top of the sixth, plating four runs to tie the game at 7–7. After holding Dearborn scoreless in the top of the seventh, MVNU had its opportunity to finish the game. Sheets led off with a double to right-center, and Abigail Sapp entered as a pinch runner. Sapp advanced to third on a wild pitch and then raced home on another wild pitch, sealing the 8–7 walk-off victory for the Lady Cougars.
Sheets earned her second win of the season, picking up the decision in the seventh inning.
What's Next
The Lady Cougars will return to the Space Coast Spring Games to take on Dordt University at 10:00 a.m. and Carolina University at 12:15 p.m. in Melbourne, Florida on Tuesday, March 3.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, 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 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.