Millersville vs. Merrimack Box Score

Millersville vs. Saint Joseph's (Ind.) Box Score

Clermont, Fla. — The Millersville softball team got runs in each of the first four innings to defeat Merrimack 5-0 in an early morning game, but saw its good fortune run out a few hours later. Holding a 2-0 lead in the sixth, the Marauders could not close out Saint Joseph's (Ind.), falling 3-2 in their second game on Sunday at Hancock Park in Clermont, Fla.

Kelly Fitzgerald started the scoring off in game one for Millersville (2-2) by singling in Lindsay Hosier in the first. Hosier would tack on another run with a sacrifice fly in the second to give the Marauders some breathing room.

With Marauder starter Courtney Eckman (1-0) making quick work of the Merrimack (0-1) bats, the Black and Gold carried its 2-0 lead to the third. That set the stage for freshman Jamie Motsko to lead off the third with her first career home run. Motsko drilled a shot to deep left field that ricocheted off the glove of left fielder Emily Cummings and out of the park.

Millersville added two more runs to its total courtesy of an Allison Chew triple in the third and an Ally Homa double in the fourth.

Eckman earned the win by giving up just three hits in four innings. The junior gave way to classmate Sarah Signore in the fifth and she responded with three hitless innings and six strikeouts. Atlee Cahill (0-1) took the loss for the Warriors. Cahill allowed seven hits and four earned runs over three frames.

Millersville looked poised to make it a 2-0 day, but a late rally by Saint Joseph's (Ind.) put a damper on that.

It was Fitzgerald that got the Marauders going again when she broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. The sophomore catcher knocked in Homa with a single and provided even more support with an RBI single back through the box in the top of the sixth.

The Pumas (1-0) erased the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth as Kayla Robinson knocked in both runners on a double to the wall. Marauder freshman Alicia Hughes (1-1) had been dominant up until that point. Hughes gave up only four hits (one for extra bases) over five innings, but fatigue finally started to catch up with her in the sixth.

The Black and Gold couldn't produce a run in the seventh and SJC jumped on the opportunity to grab the win in its last at-bats. Kara Kristoff and Sara Twining began the inning with back-to-back singles and chased Hughes from the game. The Puma runners moved up on a wild pitch by reliever Brittany Peterson and Kristoff would score the game-winning run on Kristen Paris' one-out single to center field.

Sarah Franklin (1-0) threw a complete game for SJC and did not walk a batter. She struck out four and gave up both runs. Hughes struck out four in six innings of work, but was changed with all three earned runs and suffered the loss.

MU plays two early games again on Monday. The Marauders are set to face Post University and Wayne State College back at the National Training Center, with game times scheduled for 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.