In the first game, the host Lady Jackets (13-15, 3-7 AMC South) took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as they took advantage of two walks and three hits. CrystalRae States got the scoring started with an RBI-double, Christina Zorn followed with a run-scoring single, and Jessica Reyes capped off the inning with a two-run triple.

MVNU (14-8, 5-5 AMC South) finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, sophomore outfielder Lauretta Wallace lined an RBI-double to leftfield. Junior outfielder Laura Morris (left) followed with a pinch-hit, two-run single to rightfield to close the gap to 4-3.

Cedarville responded in the bottom of the sixth inning by getting two of the runs back to extend its lead to 6-3. Aubree Munson’s two-out, two-run double to left center did the main damage for the Lady Jackets.

Those two runs would prove to be huge as the Lady Cougars pushed across one run in the top of the seventh inning to pull within 6-4. Junior third baseman Karly Clay plated freshman second baseman Kristin Kurelic with a run-scoring ground out. However, that would be as close as MVNU would get as Cedarville prevailed to take game one.

Senior right-hander Kristin Eyerman (8-2) suffered the loss as she gave up seven hits, five walks, and six runs over six innings with three strikeouts.

Mallory White (9-6) picked up the win for the Lady Jackets as she scattered nine hits, four walks, and four runs over seven innings with five strikeouts. The Lady Cougars stranded eight base runners in the game.

Kurelic (right) paced the MVNU offense by going 3-for-4, while Wallace and sophomore designated player Staci Graham both had a double.

The second game was a pitchers’ duel between junior right-hander Candace White (6-5) of the Lady Cougars and the duo of Sarah Harnica and Mallory White of Cedarville.

Neither team was able to generate much offense through the early innings. Then, in the top of the fifth inning, MVNU got runners at first and third with two outs. However, Mallory White came on in relief at that point to get a ground out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Lady Jackets had their biggest threat of the game to that point as the first three batters each singled. However, Candace White was able to wriggle out of the jam as the game remained scoreless.

Finally, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Cedarville was able to muster enough offense to take the game. Reyes tripled to lead off the inning and Sara Koepke followed with an infield single to put runners at first and third. After Koepke stole second base, Munson plated Reyes with the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to leftfield as the Lady Jackets prevailed 1-0.

Candace White (left) was the hard-luck loser on the mound for the Lady Cougars as she scattered eight hits and one run over 7.1 innings with no walks and four strikeouts.

Harnica started and tossed 4.2 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Mallory White picked up her second win of the day in relief as she gave up just one hit and one walk over the final 3.1 innings with three strikeouts.

MVNU managed just three hits in the game - a two-out single by junior first baseman Kylie Rupert in the top of the second inning, a two-out infield single by junior outfielder Whitney Clark in the top of the fifth inning, and a lead-off double to right center by sophomore catcher Caitlin Murphy in the top of the seventh inning.

Cedarville was led by States and Zorn, who both collected two hits apiece. Reyes’ triple was the Lady Jackets’ only extra base hit of the game.

The Lady Cougars will return to action on Saturday when MVNU will host Cedarville in another AMC South Division doubleheader that will get under way at 1:00 p.m.