Salisbury, N.C. – The Millersville softball team was red-hot at the plate in game one of the doubleheader dropping the Indians 10-1, but Catawba rallied for a 9-8 win in game two. Millersville improved to 9-7 overall on the season with the split giving Catawba a record of 16-9.
Catawba struck first and led 1-0 after the second inning of the opener.
Megan McCurdy spearheaded the Ville's rally with a solo homer in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth. She also added a two-run single in the sixth inning to finish the game with seven RBI's. The early offense was enough as the Marauders coasted to the 10-1 victory.
Mandy Hammond continued her fast start to the season and had three hits in each game for the Marauders. Hammond leads the team with 48 at-bats and sports a team-leading .542 batting average with nine RBI's.
Brianna Andraos (4-5) had the decision on the mound in each game for Millersville. She tossed a six hit shutout in the win and gave up two runs on four hits in two innings of relief in game two.
Millersville opened the nightcap right where they left off and led 5-0 after two innings.
Kelsey Campbell and
Heather Lutz paced the Marauder offensive attack with each tagging starting pitcher Preston Ellenberg for a home run. Campbell smacked a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and Lutz belted a two-run shot in the second. Ellenberg only lasted 1.2 innings on the mound for Catawba.
The Indians entered the bottom of the fifth down 5-3. Morgan Brann led off the inning with a lead off homer that sparked a four-run frame that gave Catawba the lead.
The lead was short-lived with Millersville holding an 8-7 advantage in the top of the seventh after a two-out RBI single by
Megan Hallock. However, in the bottom of the inning Beth Ann Martin hit a double that started the rally. Martin scored the tying run when Kristen Stinnard grounded out to third for the second out. With both teams being kept off the board in the eighth, Catawba walked off in the ninth when she sliced the ball just inside the bag at third to plate Caroline Turner for the 9-8 win.
Millersville returns to action on Thursday for its home opener with Shepherd. The teams are scheduled for a doubleheader with first pitch at 2 p.m.
