The first game was a pitchers’ duel between MVNU senior right-hander Kristin Eyerman (left) (10-6) and Dana Hartings (17-4) of Walsh as the game was scoreless through the first five innings.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Ashley Hoover and Krystal Sherry both reached with one-out singles. Following a strikeout for the second out, Alyssa Knupp hit a 2-2 pitch over the fence in centerfield to give the Lady Cavaliers (29-9) a 3-0 lead. The home run was the eighth of the season for Knuapp.

That proved to be enough offense for Hartings as she limited the Lady Cougars (27-15) to just four hits in seven innings with no walks and six strikeouts to pick up the 3-0 shutout victory.

Eyerman suffered the hard-luck loss as she scattered seven hits and three runs over six innings with six strikeouts.

Offensively, sophomore catcher Caitlin Murphy collected half of MVNU’s hits as she went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. Meanwhile, Krystal Sherry led Walsh with two hits.

The second game was scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when Murphy and junior first baseman Kylie Rupert both had RBI-singles and sophomore outfielder Lauretta Wallace plated another run with a ground out to the right side as the Lady Cougars built a 3-0 lead.

However, the lead was short-lived as Walsh knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sherry and Knupp each singled, and Brittany Sostre hit a three-run homer to centerfield - her sixth of the year.

An RBI-double by sophomore outfielder Leslie Banichar in the top of the fifth inning gave MVNU a 4-3 advantage. Then, with two outs, Murphy (right) hit a two-run homer off the scoreboard in centerfield to extend the Lady Cougars’ lead to 6-3. It was her second home run of the year.

That lead would stand up as MVNU prevailed 6-3 to split the non-conference doubleheader with Walsh, the AMC North Division champion who is also receiving votes in the latest NAIA national poll. Junior right-hander Candace White (11-11) earned the win for the Lady Cougars as she worked seven innings, scattered eight hits, and allowed three runs with three strikeouts.

Sherry (12-5) took the loss for MVNU as she gave up six hits, three walks, and six runs over seven innings. She also struck out four batters.

Murphy and Banichar both had two hits for the Lady Cougars with Banichar also stealing three bases to tie the school single-game record. Meanwhile, the Lady Cavaliers were led by Hartings and Chelsea Saunders who also had two hits apiece.

MVNU will return to action on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. when the Lady Cougars travel to Urbana University for an American Mideast Conference South Division doubleheader. If MVNU sweeps the Blue Knights, then they are guaranteed to make the NAIA Region IX Tournament. If the Lady Cougars lose either game, then their season will come to an end.