ALLIANCE – Big innings by each team propelled them to victories as the Wilmington College softball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with Mount Union Sunday. The twinbill was moved from Saturday due to weather.
GAME ONE: WILMINGTON 12, MOUNT UNION 7
Becca Carpenter's (South Charleston, OH/Southeastern) three-run home run capped a six-run fourth inning as the Fightin' Quakers scored 11 unanswered runs in the win over Mount Union. Her two-out single in the bottom of the first inning gave Wilmington an early 1-0 lead.
She was the only WC player with multiple hits as the Fightin' Quakers managed eight hits and took advantage of seven Mount Union miscues.
However, the Purple Raiders got to Carpenter for five runs on six hits in their half of the first.
A pair of errors in the second opened the door for the Fightin' Quakers. Senior Kerrie Trautman (Hartville, OH/Field) singled home a run and freshman Je'Taysia Johns (Wilmington, OH/Wilmington) raced home on a wild pitch.
Wilmington took the lead with the aforementioned six-run fourth as freshman Grace Yoder (Springboro, OH/Springboro) drew a bases load walk and freshman Jillia Cook (Canton, OH/Glen Oak) added a two-run single ahead of Carpenter's bomb.
The Fightin' Quakers added a single run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to open up a 12-5 lead.
Mount Union tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
In her first career start, Johns finished 1-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Yoder and Cook had two RBI each.
Carpenter, 3-13, got the victory in the circle, allowing seven earned runs on 11 hits in the complete game.
GAME TWO: MOUNT UNION 8, WILMINGTON 6
Mount Union took control of the game with a seven-run fourth inning as the Purple Raiders held on to the 8-6 win in the nightcap.
After a two-run homer that gave MTU the 3-1 lead, Wilmington turned to its bullpen – which offered no relief as the next seven batters reached and when the inning was all said and done, the Fightin' Quakers trailed 7-1.
Undeterred, WC responded with four runs in its portion of the fifth inning. Junior Savannah Hooper (Leesburg, OH/Wilmington) singled and Yoder was hit ahead of Cook's RBI single. Carpenter brought home another run with a ground out and freshman Micalah Hensley (Houston, OH/Houston) picked up a two-out RBI single.
A single by freshman Mariyah Burkhardt (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge) kept the inning going, and freshman KenDahl Bowles (Middletown, OH/Madison) reached on an error loading the bases for Johns, who picked up an RBI the hard way by getting hit.
A solo shot in the fifth gave the Purple Raiders a three-run, and Bowles ended the scoring with a RBI groundout in the seventh.
Hooper finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Hensley was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Cook was 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI. Carpenter was 1-for-3 with two RBI, and Hensley recorded WC's lone extra base hit – a double.
Junior Beth Persicano, 2-7, (Knoxville, TN/Cincinnati (OH) Turpin) allowed three runs on seven hits in three innings of work, while Trautman surrendered four earned runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning.
Wilmington finishes the season 7-29 overall, 4-14 in the OAC.