A seventh-inning "walk off" rally in the first game, and a fifth-inning burst in the second game, lifted Mary Baldwin's softball team to a pair of 3-2 non-conference victories over visiting Randolph College following MBU's pre-game Morgan's Message ceremony Saturday.
In both games, the offenses struggled to convert opportunities against strong pitching and defense. Both teams came up with clutch defensive plays throughout the day, including several double plays that squashed rallies, but ironically, untimely errors ultimately led to the final decisions.
In the opener, the visiting WildCats held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
Allison Crum ripped her second RBI double of the game to even the score Pinchhitter
Bella Tortoriello drew a four-pitch walk, followed by a two-out grounder by
Trinity Thomas that was mishandled and allowed Crum to score the winning run.
Reagan Frazier threw a shutout inning in relief of starter Emily McCreary to get the victory. Combined, they scattered 10 hits and a walk over seven innings, allowing just two earned runs.
Game 2 was similar in that neither team could break loose with a big inning until MBU batted in the fifth. Randolph scored the first run of the game in the top of the fifth, and MBU responded with three runs on two hits, a walk and a WildCats error.
Molly Thompson knocked in two runs with a double, then scored what eventually proved to be the game-winning score on another infield grounder by Thomas that Randolph was unable to play cleanly.
Randolph got one run back in the sixth, but Frazier again hurled the scoreless final frame in support of starter
McKenzie Tillman and reliever
Bailey Jahna to get the save. The MBU trio held Randolph to one earned run on six hits, two walks and a hit batter. Crum collected four of MBU's 16 hits during the twinbill.
MBU's (11-5) scheduled DH Sunday (3/16) was postponed due to weather, so the team's next game is Wednesday, March 19 at home against Bridgewater (2 p.m.). The Fighting Squirrels will then host Methodist (3/22) in the first USA South Conference doubleheader of the season.
For more information on Morgan's Message, please visit
this website.