Mars Hill sweeps Queens in regular season finale
The Mars Hill softball team (25-18, 9-11 SAC) closed out the 2019 regular season by sweeping Queens (22-14, 10-10 SAC) on the road Monday afternoon. The Lions took game one by a score of 9-7 and game two by a mark of 5-4.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Mars Hill softball team (25-18, 9-11 SAC) closed out the 2019 regular season by sweeping Queens (22-14, 10-10 SAC) on the road Monday afternoon. The Lions took game one by a score of 9-7 and game two by a mark of 5-4.
GAME ONE: MHU 9, QU 7
Jordan Harris' 14th home run proved to the be game-winning run in the top of the sixth inning, leading Mars Hill to their first win of the day.
The Lions entered the sixth tied at seven before Harris launched a solo shot to center field to retake the lead. Later in the inning, Taylor Nilsson's sacrifice fly allowed Krista Romine to score for an insurance run. On the mound, Christiana Marasa earned the win, retiring the side in the bottom of the seventh.
Queens struck first in the opening stanza off of Kelly Winter's RBI single. With the bases loaded in the top of the second, Mars Hill's Brooklyn Nanney drew a walk with the bases loaded to tie the game at one. The Royals retook the lead later moments later as Grace Valchar drove in two runs with a double to right field.
Mars Hill scored three runs in the third to take their first lead of the contest. Following an Emiley Burriss bases loaded walk to cut the deficit to one, Addison Harris singled to left field, scoring both Jordan Harris and Krista Romine to give the Lions a 4-3 advantage. Ragan Broome plated Ann Marie Gooch with a sacrifice fly to cap off the scoring.
Brooke Sanford brought the game back within one in the bottom half of the third before Jordan Hunt's two-run home run regained the lead for the Royals. After trading runs in the fourth inning, Broome drilled her 14th home run of the season to knot the game at seven in the top of the fifth.
Sanford went 4-for-4 on the day while Valchar led the Royals with three RBI. Broome led the Lions with three hits and added two RBI.
Marasa allowed one run on four hits in four innings pitched in the win.
GAME TWO: MHU 5, QU 4
Ashley Evans played hero in game two, blasting a two-run home run to left field in the top of the seventh with the game tied at three to lead the Lions to their second win on the afternoon.
After a scoreless two and a half innings, the Lions' Krista Romine drew a one-out walk. Evans, the next batter, turned on the ball for her fifth of the year.
Mars Hill opened the scoring in the top of the first as Addison Harris singled to right field, scoring Ragan Broome. The Royals scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to hold a 2-1 lead after one, highlighted by Sydney Ditto's solo home run. The Royals added one more run in the bottom of the third off of a Mars Hill error to go up 3-1 entering the fourth.
Shae Condon began the comeback bid for Mars Hill in the top of the fourth with a RBI single to center that scored Broome for her second run of the game. With Danielle Harris on third, Romine's sacrifice fly tied the game at three.
Ditto led the Royals with three hits in game two while Addison Harris paced the Lions' offense with three hits and two RBI.
Christiana Marasa picked up her second win on the day, allowing one run on six hits in 4.2 innings pitched.