SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College softball team dropped a pair of River States Conference contests on Saturday (March 8) against visiting IU-Southeast at the SMWC Softball Complex. IU-Southeast won the first game 14-3 and came back to win 6-2 in the nightcap.
SMWC saw their six-game winning streak come to an end as they fell to 6-4 on the season and 2-2 in RSC play. IU-Southeast improved to 7-5, 5-1 inside the conference.
GAME ONE:
IU-Southeast jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in the opening game of their doubleheader against St. Mary-of-the-Woods, claiming a decisive 14-3 victory.
The Grenadiers wasted no time setting the tone, as senior Sarah Guy belted a two-run homer in the top of the first inning to give Indiana Southeast a 2-0 lead.
SMWC responded with a two-run shot of their own in the second, courtesy of
Jaleigh Crawford, to tie the game at 2-2. But the Grenadiers quickly regained control with a pair of runs in the third and never relinquished the lead.
IU-Southeast's offense came alive throughout the contest, as they capitalized on timely hits and a strong performance from starter Emily Davis, who went the distance for the win. Davis allowed three runs on nine hits, striking out five and walking one over seven innings. Her effort overshadowed a rough outing from St. Mary-of-the-Woods'
Emily Fitzwater, who took the loss after allowing four runs in three innings.
The Grenadiers were led offensively by leadoff hitter Lauren Mackey, who went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, and Guy, who finished with a home run, three hits, and four RBIs. In total, Indiana Southeast registered 16 hits and 14 runs, with every batter reaching base at least once.
The SMWC offense, which featured a solid performance from Crawford (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs), struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities and could not keep up with Indiana Southeast's relentless attack.
The Grenadiers poured on more runs in the middle innings, with a six-run sixth inning punctuated by Mackey's two-run single and Guy's RBI hit. By the time the seventh inning arrived, Indiana Southeast had a commanding 14-3 lead, which they would hold onto to secure the win.
GAME TWO:
IU-Southeast took control early in the second game with a two-run first inning. L. Mackey's groundout brought home J. Lemmons, and S. Guy's sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 2-0.
The Grenadiers added to their lead in the fifth, when M. Walters doubled in two runs, bringing in K. Leister and S. Guy to make it 4-0. In the sixth inning, Lemmons' RBI single extended the lead to 5-0.
SMWC fought back in the bottom of the sixth.
Emily Fitzwater's single plated
Abbi Henderson, and a fielder's choice by
Caeden Bennett brought in
Samantha Dodds, narrowing the margin to 5-2.
However, IU-Southeast answered in the seventh as Walters drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to give the Grenadiers a 6-2 lead, which held through the final out.
Alex Overman (1-3) pitched a complete game for the Pomeroys, surrendering six runs on 11 hits while striking out one.
Offensively, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was led by Henderson, who went 2-for-3 with a run, and Fitzwater, who added an RBI.
