Mars Hill splits with Converse

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill softball team (14-16) split with Converse (10-16), falling in game one by a score of 8-6, but taking game two by a score of 10-8 in dramatic fashion.

GAME ONE: CON 8, MHU 6

The Valkyries took game one off of a four-run fifth inning.

Trailing 3-2 entering the fifth, a pair of RBI singles by Sydney Watson and Olivia Jones put the Valkyries up by one. A pair of Mars Hill errors later in the frame allowed two more runs to score, seeing Converse's lead jump to three.

A pair of solo home runs off the bats of Daci Sarver and Camryn Sterling pulled Mars Hill back within one, but a pair of runs by Converse in the top of the seventh put the Lions away.

Watson opened the scoring in the top of the third with a two-run home run. In the bottom of the fourth, Mars Hill answered with a two-run home run off the bat of Riley Waters.

Watson, Davis, and Charley Swartzel led Converse with two hits apiece while Watson led all players with three RBI. 

Sarver led the Lions with two hits and two runs scored while Waters led the team with two RBI.

GAME TWO: MHU 10, CON 8

Mars Hill scored five unanswered runs in the final two innings, capped off with Bri Weimer's walkoff two-run home run.

Trailing 8-4 entering the bottom of the sixth, Weimer's RBI single allowed Daci Sarver to score the Lions' fifth run of the game. Maia Sholter followed later in the frame with a RBI single while Sara Rexrode's sacrifice fly plated Brooke Hanson for the tying run.

Converse led 3-0 entering the bottom of the second off of a solo home run from Aubree Leonard and a two-run shot from Madison Davis.

The Lions plated three in the second and took the lead in the bottom of the third off of Riley Waters' RBI single that plated Farley Park.

The Valkyries rallied in the top of the fifth, scoring five, highlighted by Sydney Watson's solo home run.

Weimer led the Lions with two hits and all players with three RBI. Sholter and Waters each picked up two RBI apiece.

Blyth Freeman earned the complete game victory, striking out seven for her fifth win of the season.

Mars Hill returns to South Atlantic Conference play on Saturday, March 22 when they host Carson-Newman. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.