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Box Score 4 KISSIMMEE, Fla. – After a slow start to their Florida trip, MBU Softball has found their swing, winning three straight including an upset against (12) Grand View.
Game One
MoBap got off the bus sluggish on Monday, as they failed to produce against St. Francis (Ind.), falling 4-0.
Haley Tate pitched a solid game and registered the Spartans only hit in an otherwise close matchup. Tate pitched a complete game only allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out one and walking one. But the bats failed to provide run support as the Spartans dropped their first game in Florida.
Game Two
After a short break MBU had to turn things around quick with (12) Grand View now sitting in the other dug out. The Spartans wasted now time getting the offense going as lead-off hitter,
Madalyn Bone, put herself on first base with a single.
Ellie Wessel was then hit by a wild pitch allowing for the Spartans to have two base runners before recording an out. An error then allowed Bone to score and put
Kolby Brake on first and Wessel on second. A wild pitch advanced both runners, putting two in scoring position with clean-up hitter,
Shelby Sievers, up to bat. Errors doomed Grand View early on as another error allowed Sievers to reach and scored both Wessel and Brake, giving the Spartans and early 3-0 lead. The Vikings would get out of trouble as they caught Sievers attempting to steal third base and recorded the two remaining outs.
The game remained silent on the scoreboard until the top of the fourth, where a solo shot off the bat of
Kaylee Morris added another run to the Spartan lead. MoBap's offense again got rolling in the top of the fifth as Bone once again led off with a single followed by a single from Wessel. After a walk from Brake, the Spartans sat with bases loaded and no outs. Sievers didn't let the opportunity go to waste, knocking a double into the outfield, scoring Bone and Wessel to put the Spartans up 6-0. Morris collected her second hit in as many innings, picking up two RBI's, making the lead 8-0. After a groundout and a pair of Spartan strikeouts, Grand View was able to get out of the inning. The Vikings were unable to score in the bottom of the fifth to extend the game. MBU secured the mercy rule victory 8-0, in five innings.
Sievers only allowed five hits over her five innings of work, collecting one strikeout and walking two, on her way to her second win of the season.
Game Three
MoBap looked to pick up their first back-to-back wins of the season in Tuesday's early game against West Virginia Tech. Despite the 7-3 final score, this was a pitchers battle up until the sixth inning. WVU Tech pitcher, Courtney Miles, had everything working, as she had recorded eight strikeouts through five, one run innings, while her team built a 3-1 lead.
MBU finally had enough of her pitching display during the top of the sixth. Sievers kick started the Spartan offense with a lead-off double before stealing third. Brake then beat out the throw to pick up the infield single to put runners at the corners. Brake then stole second to put herself in scoring position. With runners in scoring position Morris doubled sending Sievers home and moving Brake over to third. With the lead cut down to one,
Isabella Schlemmer bunted down the first base line hoping to bring home the tying run. An error by the catcher allowed the run to score, tying the game, and Schlemmer to reach first safely.
Schlemmer stole second base to once again put two Spartans in scoring position. With the game tied and no outs,
Sydney Berry poked a single into right field scoring Morris, giving the Spartans their first lead of the game, 4-3. In an attempt to stop the bleeding, Taylor Dickerson came in to pitch for Golden Bears. Dickerson quickly picked up two outs as
Natalie Archer was called out due to batter interference before a striking out
Kaitlynn Hannah. With runners at the corners and two outs, the Spartans turned over the lineup. Lead-off hitter
Madalyn Bone refused to let the Golden Bears out of trouble with a single up the middle, allowing Schlemmer to score and add to the Spartan lead, 5-3. An error then allowed Bone to advance to second and Berry to score. For good measure, Wessel, picked up a single to bring home Bone, giving MBU a 7-3 lead. Dickerson than struck out Sievers to end the inning.
Neither team would allow much more offense as the game would end 7-3 in the Spartans favor. Sievers picked up her third win and second in as many days. The senior from Poplar Bluff, Mo. pitched the complete game, allowing only three runs while striking out one.
Game Four
Matched up against Indiana University-South Bend in the evening tilt, the Spartans looked to pick up their third consecutive victory. Multiple Spartans registered hits as Bone, Wessel, and Tate picked up two apiece and Sievers and Schlemmer recorded one. MBU scored six runs off those eight hits on their way to a 6-1 victory over the Titans.
Haley Tate only allowed five hits over seven innings of work to earn her first win of the season.
MBU continues their PFX spring games with two matchups on Mar. 17. The Spartans will first play Indiana University-South Bend at 10:00 AM (EST). Following the conclusion of the early game, MoBap will then play Concordia University (Mich.) at 12:15 PM (EST).
