Softball Battles Through to Split DH with Mount St. Mary's

Links: Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)
 
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.–  Merrimack softball split its first conference doubleheader of the young season on home turf, falling in the first contest by a narrow 4-3 margin before taking the second game by a 3-2 final on Sunday. 
 
The Basics
Score: Game 1: Merrimack 3, Mount St. Mary's 4 | Final
Score: Game 2: Merrimack 3, Mount St. Mary's 2  | Final
Records: Merrimack Warriors (5-6, 1-1 NEC) | Mount St. Mary's (7-13, 1-1 NEC)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass. 
 
Rapid Recap (Game One)

• The morning's contest kicked off with a home run by Mount St. Mary's to give the visitors a 1-0 lead to open the second inning. The Warriors responded in the bottom of the inning with pressure from the jump. Jenna Wike reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, with Madie Fornwalt's patience at the plate putting two on with no outs. 
• Capitalizing on speed, Sydney Emerson pinch ran for the lead runner Wike. Viviana Bocanegra reached on a fielder's choice, with Fornwalt out at the force at second. Emerson's speed forced an error by the Mountaineers, allowing the rookie to score and Bocanegra to reach second to level the game up before a strikeout negated the offensive threat. 
• Starter Madie Fornwalt popped two of her four strikeouts on the afternoon in the third, after a pair of walks put two on for Mount. A grounder to second moved runners into scoring position, and Fornwalt stayed composed with an intentional walk to get a swinging strikeout to negate the bases loaded threat. 
• Mount retook the lead in the fourth, kickstarting with a double to right center and advancing to third on a sacrifice play. A grounder back to Fornwalt held the runner at third before a double down the left field line brought in a run. The next batter homered to left center to bring two across for the Mountaineers for a 4-1 lead. 
• The Warriors were quick to respond in the bottom of the fourth, with Wike shooting a single to left and advancing on an infield grounder. Redshirt freshman Sydney Shimkus stepped up for Merrimack and sent her first collegiate home run to left, making it a one run game. 
• Reliever Katelyn Thompson worked to strike out five after coming into the game in the fifth, with all five coming on swings by the Mountaineers. Merrimack tried late to close the gap, with Shimkus starting with a leadoff single to center. A sacrifice advanced Shimkus into scoring positioning before a strikeout and pinch hit grounder stalled the comeback.

 
 
Rapid Recap (Game Two)

• Mount again took an early lead in the second game between the two teams, with a lead off walk and stolen base coming before a walk and a stolen base at third. A third walk loaded the bases as the Mountaineers got on the board with a sacrifice fly to center. 
• Courtney Lanpher stepped up in the bottom of the first as the Warriors returned serve. The shortstop worked a walk and stole second base, coming in to score on a single to center by Wike. 
• In the bottom of the third Lanpher again crossed the plate for the Warriors, getting aboard after being hit by a pitch. Behind her, Sarah Reisler walked to put two on before rookie Ellen Hubbard singled to center to bring in Lanpher and send Reisler to third. Wike reached on a fielder's choice with Hubbard advancing to second and Reisler coming in to score to give Merrimack the lead.
• Mount responded in the top of the fourth with a leadoff home run to left, before three grounders closed out the inning and left one on base after a hit by pitch.
• Merrimack's bats went off again in the bottom half of the inning, with Nicole Basil working a walk. Catherine Kingman reached on a fielder's choice as Basil advanced to second on a throwing error by the pitcher to put two on with no outs. Sydney Emerson again worked on the bases for Basil, and advanced to third on a muffed throw by the third baseman that allowed Sofia Palyan to reach and Kingman to advance.
• On a short ball back to the pitcher, Emerson was tagged out at home, with the other runners all advancing safely. Next at bat, Reisler chopped a ball to third, with Kingman tagged out at home with the runners remaining safe on the bases. A grounder to first closed out the chance for the Warriors to expand the lead.
• The Warriors' defense stepped up for the final six outs, closing out for two pop ups before closer Katelyn Thompson notched a strikeout. In the top of the seventh, getting three quick outs with a grounder, strikeout and flyout. 

 
Notes and Numbers

• Game 1: WP – Berkley (4-4) | LP-  Madie Fornwalt (2-2)
• Game 2: WP – Bry Michitson (3-2) | SV – Katelyn Thompson (3) | LP- Neuhart (1-5)

 
Up Next:
Merrimack and Mount St. Mary's will battle again on Monday to close out the NEC series with first pitch set for noon. 
 
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