MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State softball scored four unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings of game one and held on to win its second road and first Ohio Valley Conference game of the year on Saturday by a 7-5 score in the opener of a doubleheader against Western Illinois at the Mary Ellen McKee Stadium in Macomb, Ill.
However, that momentum did not carry over to game two, as the Eagles fell to the Leathernecks 10-9 in 10 innings.
The game-one result snapped a 10-game overall skid for the Blue and Gold and overcame a stretch of contests where it held a late lead but watched as its opponent rallied to victory.
For a Morehead State team that had been so close for so long, the perseverance finally paid off.
"It was a great team win. We played well and had a lot of strong communication," said MSU coach
Megan Griffith. "Ainsley (Stubbs) went the full seven and battled hard, which was exciting to see. We were able to play together and have each other's backs throughout the game."
Morehead State (2-20/1-7) nearly made it a sweep on Saturday, rallying to score four runs in the top of the seventh of game two to send the game into extra innings, before Western Illinois (7-17/2-5) was able to prevail.
"It was a hard-fought game, and we battled until the end," Griffith said. "Hitters did a great job adjusting pitch-to-pitch. We stuck to our identity at the plate and came back from a four-run deficit late in the game."
The Eagles pounded out 26 hits between the two contests, with nine different players recording at least one.
MSU continues to have WIU's number, raising its series advantage to 6-3-1 and winning six of the eight meetings since the Leathernecks joined the Ohio Valley Conference.
Just like it has in nine of its first 20 games, the Eagles scored in the first inning in both contests.
In game one, junior
Sage VanDemark walked and came home on a double to left field by junior third baseman
Sela Pickford in the opening frame.
The hosts sent seven batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning and were able to tie the score on a bases-loaded walk. However, MSU junior pitcher
Ainsley Stubbs struck out Kennedy Highley on the next at-bat to end any additional threat.
In the second, the visitors got a leadoff single from sophomore designated player
Sophie Collins and junior center fielder
Maddy Christopher walked, but the pair were stranded when the inning ended.
Pickford singled to lead off the third. Junior catcher
Sydney Farmer followed with a run-scoring double and senior right fielder
Taikibrea Campbell added another two-bagger to push Farmer home. The Eagles could have added more runs, having left two runners in scoring position when the inning ended.
Western Illinois tied the score in the bottom of the third courtesy of a Payton Brown double and a Ruby Tarr triple.
The Eagles opened the floodgates in the fourth after WIU made a pitching change. The Blue and Gold picked up four hits, including singles from Christopher, Farmer, redshirt sophomore pinch hitter
Marie Perdew and junior left fielder
Jordan Donato. Perdew's one-out hit scored Christopher, with Donato plating Farmer and junior second baseman
Sage VanDemark on the ensuing at-bat.
Morehead State extended its advantage to 7-3 in the fifth after back-to-back leadoff singles by Christopher and VanDemark, and Farmer reaching on a fielder's choice. Then with the bases loaded, Perdew drew a five-pitch walk. Western Illinois kept the Eagle bats in check by getting the final two outs by throwing out runners at home plate.
WIU again put two runners on base in the fifth but could not get anyone home. The story was the same in the sixth. In both cases, it got two on with just one out.
MSU continued to put pressure on in the seventh, loading the bases on two singles and a dropped third strike. However, a fielder's choice ended the threat.
The Leathernecks were literally down to their final strike when Maria Luna hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence to close the gap to two runs, but Pickford snared a line drive at third base to end the game.
"All week I have been working on my timing for the pitching we were going to see this weekend, and it showed in these games," Pickford said. "We were also doing well with timely hitting and getting walks in order to get runs in the first game which was awesome to see."
MSU finished with 14 hits, two errors and left 16 runners on base. Western Illinois had nine hits, two errors and eight runners left stranded.
Pickford and Christopher each had three hits, while Farmer and Donato added two. VanDemark, Campbell, Perdew and Collins all had one. Christopher, VanDemark and Farmer scored two runs apiece. Pickford recorded the other one. Perdew and Donato led the team with two RBI apiece. Pickford, Farmer and Campbell each had one.
Brown, Tarr and Addie McLaughlin all had two hits to lead the hosts. Luna had a game-best three RBI.
Stubbs went the distance to earn her second win of the season and improve to 2-6. She allowed five runs, all earned, on nine hits, with three strikeouts and four walks.
Lillie Wools suffered the loss to fall to 1-4. She pitched four innings in relief, surrendering four runs, all earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Audrey Clark started and lasted three innings. She allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits, with a strikeout and three walks.
