MARS HILL, N.C.— The Montreat softball team traveled roughly 20 miles north of Asheville, N.C. to Mars Hill University Saturday afternoon for a non-conference doubleheader against the Lions on their home field. Playing at the NCAA Division II institution, the Cavaliers captured game one, 11-9, before suffering a 15-6 5-inning defeat in game two. With the split, the visitors moved to 23-7 on the year.
Mars Hill (13-19) struck first in game one with a 3-run bottom of the second, but the Cavs quickly answered during the following half-inning. Montreat plated five runs on six hits in the third as
Haley Fethke,
Makayla Reid,
Dayton Kell and
Alanna Hernandez each drove in at least one Cavalier. The Lions came back with a 2-run blast in their next at-bat, though, leaving the contest tied at 5-5 after three.
Hollie Cunningham's RBI bunt single gave the Cavaliers the lead for good in the top of the fifth.
Amayia Hernandez then cleared the bags on an extra-base hit to center, pushing the away side's advantage up to 9-5.
The hosts scored in each of the last three innings, but
Victoria Alcantar's 2-run homer in the sixth ensured Montreat's victory, 11-9.
Kendall Rubel collected her third win of the season by going four frames in the circle, and Alcantar picked up her first save as a Cav tossing the final three innings.
Amayia Hernandez,
Jasmine Rachal and Kell each went 2-for-4, while Hernandez (3 RBIs), Reid (2 RBIs) and Alcantar (2 RBIs) drove in multiple runs. Every Montreat batter in the starting nine scored at least once, led by Reid and Alcantar, who each scored twice.
Reid opened game two with an RBI double to left center, and an error extended the visitors' lead to 2-0 before Mars Hill had a chance to bat; however, the Lions eventually scored in every inning as they flipped momentum and the game in their favor.
A run in the bottom of the first and second tied the ballgame at 2-2 through two. Montreat responded with a 4-run third thanks to Rachal's 2-run rocket and a pair of unearned runs, but MHU plated the final 13 to erase its 6-2 deficit. Two runs in the third and 11 in the fourth ultimately set up the Lions' 15-6 run-rule victory.
The Cavaliers' top four hitters in the batting order—Hernandez (2-3), Rachal (2-3), Fethke (1-3) and Reid (2-3)—combined for seven of the squad's eight hits and all six runs.
Elizabeth Gergen tallied Montreat's other knock.
The Montreat softball team remains on the road on Monday with more non-conference action, this time at Brevard College. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m. in Brevard, N.C.
