Mars Hill sweeps season-opening DH against Shorter

ROME, Ga. - The Mars Hill softball team (2-0) swept Shorter (0-2) by scores of 1-0 and 10-7 Saturday afternoon on the road in their season opening games. The Friday game, set to be the season-opener, was cancelled due to inclement weather.

GAME ONE: MHU 1, SU 0

Sara Rexrode changed the tide of the game with just one swing of the bat in the top of the second. In her first at-bat, Rexrode homered for Mars Hill, plating the only run of the contest.

She led the team with two hits while Brooke Hanson, Meghan Murphy, and Katie Todd each recorded a hit apiece.

Blyth Freeman was dominant on the mound, allowing just two hits in 6.2 innings, striking out three. 

GAME TWO: MHU 10, SU 7

Trailing 2-1 in the top of the fourth, Sara Rexrode hit her second home run of the day, tying the game at two. The Lions tacked on three more runs in the inning, highlighted by Sydney Hodges' double to left field.

In the top of the sixth, Leah Grimes blasted her first home run of the season, a two-run drive to extend the Lions' lead to five.

Mars Hill, after allowing two runs in the sixth, plated three more as both Hodges and Camryn Sterling hit RBI singles. In the bottom of the seventh, Shorter pulled with three after a three-run home run off the bat of Alex Hollingsworth.

Hodges led the Lions with three hits, picking up two RBI. Grimes and Hollingsworth led their respective teams with three RBI apiece. Grimes, Rexrode, and Sterling each had two hits for Mars Hill.

In her college debut, Téa Cornett picked up the win allowing five earned runs on 10 hits while striking out five in the complete game performance.

Mars Hill returns to the diamond on Tuesday, February 4 when they travel down to Greenwood, South Carolina to take on Lander. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in the non-conference doubleheader.