Mars Hill sweeps Milligan in Sunday double-header
The Mars Hill softball team won both of their Sunday afternoon contests against Milligan by scores of 5-4 and 12-2, respectively.
CANDLER, N.C. - The Mars Hill softball team won both of their Sunday afternoon contests against Milligan by scores of 5-4 and 12-2, respectively. The games were played at Enka High School.
GAME ONE
Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, the Mars Hill bats came alive. Ragan Broome led off the inning with a homerun to right field. It was her second on the season. Three straight singles from Danielle Harris, Christiana Marasa and Ashley Evans loaded the bases. A dribbler hit to the Buffaloes' shortstop off the bat of Kayleigh Jonas plated Harris for a RBI fielder's choice as Evans was thrown out at second base. A single from Jordan Harris scored Marasa to pull within one. The Lions tied the ball game on a double from the pinch hitting Taylor Lail.
Milligan was unable to score in the top of the seventh, allowing Mars Hill the opportunity to complete the comeback. Krista Romine hammered a ball deep to right-center field that was misplayed. Romine advanced to third on the error. Marasa plated Romine with a walkoff single into center field to earn the first Lions' victory of the season.
The Buffaloes opened the scoring in the top of the third inning. Erica Roller was walked by Marasa and stole second base shortly after getting on base. Madison Grindstaff wrapped a single down the right field line to plate Roller to strike first in the contest.
A homerun from Rachel Coffey with one out in the top of the fourth doubled the Milligan lead. In the top of the sixth, Jenna Gilbert was walked with one out. Kaylee Frascatore drove a ball deep into left-center field and over the fence for a two-run homerun to give the Buffaloes a 4-0 lead.
Broome and Marasa each had two hits for the Lions. Including Broome and Marasa, three other Lions' had RBIs in the contest. Roller led Milligan with two hits on the afternoon, scoring one run.
Marasa struck out seven in seven innings to pick up the victory. Kassie Butcher allowed four runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings pitched for the loss.
GAME TWO
Ragan Broome's three-run homerun in the bottom of the fifth inning gave Mars Hill the 12-2 win to complete the sweep of Milligan.
Up 9-2 with Bobbi Jones on second base and Danielle Harris on first, Broome lifted a Cayley Shoemaker pitch deep over the left-center field to eight-run rule the Buffaloes.
Each team opened the contest with a solo homerun. Milligan's Neelee Griffith, with two outs, took Cristi Pressley deep to center field. Krista Romine answered back in the bottom half of the inning, turning on a ball and sending it over the right field fence to tie the game.
The Buffaloes once again relied on the long ball to provide offense. Shoemaker put Milligan up 2-1 in the top of the second inning with a solo shot to center field.
Mars Hill went silent in the bottom half of the inning, but would score five runs in the third to begin the 11-0 run. With the bases loaded, Kayleigh Jonas singled to score Romine and Christiana Marasa to give the Lions a 3-2 lead. A single by Cassidy Allen once again loaded the bases and two more runs were driven in off of Taylor Lail's single to left field. Hollie Norris capped off the inning with a RBI single to give Mars Hill a 6-2 edge going into the fourth inning.
Jonas added a three-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth to pull ahead by seven.
Romine was walked twice and had one hit in game two, scoring three runs. Jonas led all players with five RBIs going 2-for-3 at the plate. Broome collected three RBIs in game two.
Casey Stanek picks up the victory, striking out four batters and only allowing one hit in three innings pitched. Shoemaker is credited with the loss, giving up four runs on three hits in 2.1 innings pitched.
Mars Hill hits the road on Saturday, February 24th to begin the two-day FMU Winter Wrangle tournament. The Lions will play UVa-Wise at 12 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. tilt with Francis Marion.
