Cresson, PA - The Mount Aloysius Softball team completed two thrilling comeback victories in a doubleheader sweep of Chatham on Sunday.
Game 1 saw the Mounties jump out to an early lead as
Emily Cochran (Natrona Heights, PA/Highland) drove in two in the first inning, driving a single to left field to score
Samantha Smith (Trafford, PA/Penn-Trafford) and
Kayla Hopkins (Canonsburg, PA/Canon McMillan). The Cougars were able to tie the game in the 2nd using 2 hits and an error to score 2 runs off starting pitcher
Taylor Cashner (Danville, PA/Danville). Cochran relieved Cashner in the 4th inning, and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and an error in the fifth.
Down 2 runs in the 6th inning, the Mounties would use a big inning to take the lead. Smith started the rally after being hit by a pitch.
Tawnya Holben (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) drilled a double to left field to represent the tying run. Hopkins hit an RBI single to halve the deficit and Cochran came through to tie the game with another RBI single to left. After a pitching change,
Abby Reitz (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle Antrim) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to push the Mounties ahead.
Cochran returned to the circle in the 7th, closing out the game with an easy 1-2-3 inning. Cochran picked up her third win of the season. She pitched 4 innings, allowed 1 earned run on 5 hits and a walk while striking out 4. She also went 3 for 3 at the plate, driving in 3 runs. Hopkins also collected a multi-hit game, finishing 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, 1 RBI and a stolen base.
The Mounties got off to a much slower start in the second game of the twin bill. Chatham scored 1 in the first and tacked on 2 in the third and one each in the 5th and 6th off starting pitcher
Kara Pisczek (Johnstown, PA/Conemaugh Township). While the Cougars built their lead, the Mounties struggled at the plate as they only collected 3 hits in the first 5 innings while striking out 6 times. 2 of those hits came in the 3rd inning when Briana Benscoter (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) picked up the first Mountie hit with a line drive through the right side and was driven in 2 batters later on a
Samantha Smith single up the middle.
Pisczek was removed in the 5th with 2 runners on as
Karlie Clark (Yukon, PA/Yough) replaced her and was able to get the Mounties out of the jam. Clark threw 2.2 shutout innings in the game, which allowed the Mounties to attempt their second comeback of the day. In the 6th, Smith drew a lead off walk and advanced to second on a
Courtney Link (Ebensburg, PA/Bishop Carroll) single to center. After a Hopkins walk to load the bases, Cochran drove a line drive over the centerfielder's head for a bases clearing triple.
Clark put up another zero in the 7th, allowing the Mounties to come ot the plate down 1 run in their final at bat. They would only need 3 batters to end the game as the first three Mounties recorded hits to tie and then win the game. Benscoter led the inning off with a triple to deep center field. Pisczek followed this up lining another triple into the left centerfield gap to tie the game. Finally Smith hit another line drive to the right centerfield gap to drive in Pisczek for the winning run.
Clark collected the win, her third of the year, for her 2.2 innings of scoreless relief work. Smith and Benscoter finished with 2 hits a piece.
The wins move the Mounties to 12-3. They will be right back in action on Monday when they travel to Grove City for a double header.
