COLUMBUS, GA. – The Sagehens fell to #9 ETBU by an 3–7 final in game one and defeat Mount Union 11-5 in game two in day two of the NFCA DIII Leadoff Classic.
Season Impact: With the split,, the Sagehens record is now to 3–8 overall and 1–2 in SCIAC play.
Game One
Sagehens 3, #9 ETBU 7
The Sagehens saw four hits in the contest with Yuri Song leading the way with two. Gianna Phillips and Claire Sefkow each added a hit, while Phillips drove in two runs with a double. Audrey Reimers started in the circle for the Sagehenspitching 2.2 innings and striking out two. Nyla Springer came in to throw 1.1 innings before Ava Bautista closed the game pitching the final two innings.
ETBU struck first in the bottom of the first inning to give the Tigers a 1–0 advantage. The Sagehens responded in the top of the third inning. Sefkow singled to start the rally and later scored on an RBI single from Yuri Song. Kylie Liu drew a walk before Gianna Phillips doubled to left field to bring home two runs, giving the Sagehens a 3–1 lead. East Texas Baptist answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs on four hits to reclaim the lead at 5–3. Both teams threatened in the middle innings, but neither side was able to capitalize on scoring opportunities. The Tigers added insurance runs in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 7–3, while the Sagehens were unable to mount a late rally.
Game Two
Sagehens 11, Mount Union 5
The Sagehens notched a total of 10 hits in the game, led by Yuri Song, who went 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Kylie Liu added three hits, while Audrey Reimers collected two hits including two doubles and three RBIs. Sadie Huryn scored three runs, drove in one, and stole three bases, while Violet Burnham also contributed two hits and two runs scored. Mia Lopez pitched a complete game for the Sagehens facing 33 batters and striking out four. The Sagehens struck first in the opening inning. Liu singled and Gianna Phillips walked before Reimers delivered a two-RBI double to center. The Sagehens added another run on an error to take an early 3–0 lead. Mount Union answered in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on a single and a walk before a hit and a throwing error allowed the Purple Raiders to score three runs and tie the game at 3–3. The Sagehens regained control in the second inning. Burnham singled and Summer Gibson moved runners into scoring position before Song doubled to drive in two runs. Huryn followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6–3. Mount Union chipped away with a run in the third and another in the fifth, but Pomona-Pitzer continued to respond. Reimers added another RBI double in the fourth, and the Sagehens tacked on a run in the sixth to push the advantage to 8–5. The Sagehens sealed the game in the seventh as Song delivered a two-RBI single and Huryn later scored on a throwing error, giving the Sagehens an 11–5 victory.
Up Next: The Sagehens play Denison University at 9:00 AM EST and Pfeiffer University at 11:00 AM EST in the NFCA DIII Leadoff Classic on Sunday Mar. 8th.
