Lady Cougars Open Season with a 9-1 Win


	Lady Cougar Softball Recap Lady Cougars Open Season with a 9-1 Win written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Boxscore MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (3-7-2012) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's fastpitch softball team successfully opened the 2012 season with a 9-1 victory over Ursuline College in non-conference action at Cougar Field on Wednesday afternoon. The Lady Cougars (1-0) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when freshman designated player Morgan Wade *(left)* blasted a two-run homer to leftfield to put MVNU on top 2-0. The home run was Wade's first career hit in her first career at bat. In the bottom of the second inning, the Lady Cougars extended their lead to 4-0 when with two outs junior second baseman Brittney Kuhn singled in a run and Wade followed with an RBI double to center. MVNU tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to increase the lead to 7-0 when Kuhn singled in senior outfielder MacKenzie Shaw, who had reached on a one-out triple. Wade followed with a two-run double to left center. The visiting Lady Arrows (0-1) got on the scoreboard and avoided a shutout in the top of the fifth inning when Ursuline took advantage of two walks and a wild pitch to plate a run on an RBI single by Melissa Ruminski to make it 7-1. The Lady Cougars got that run back and added another one to end the game 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning as the eight-run mercy rule was invoked. Senior first baseman Jenn Gulley lined a two-run single to rightfield to give MVNU the walk-off win. Junior right-hander Jill Wildermuth (1-0) picked up the victory on the mound for the Lady Cougars as she allowed just three hits, two walks, and one run over six innings with four strikeouts. Ciara Seymour went the distance for Ursuline as she gave up 10 hits, one walk, nine runs (six earned) over 5.2 innings with four strikeouts. Wade led MVNU with an impressive debut at the plate as she went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, and five RBI. Kuhn added three hits in four at bats with two RBI and four runs scored, and sophomore shortstop Kara Morrison scored three times. The two teams got the second game of the scheduled doubleheader under way at 5:15 p.m., but with Ursuline leading 8-7 in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and the Lady Cougars' batting. The decision was made by the umpires to call the game due to darkness. Since the game had not become an official game with five complete innings in the book, it officially went down as a no contest with all the stats wiped out and the game for all intents and purposes never taking place. "It was great to see us come out and play so well in the first game," said MVNU coach Jeana Howald. "Jill pitched a solid game and we were able to put up a good number of runs. Morgan really had a strong college debut with her day at the plate." "While it was disappointing to not be able to finish the second game, it was the right call for the umpires to make as it was starting to harder to see," Howald added. "We were not going to be able to get another inning in, so they decided to just end the game before someone got hurt. We saw a few areas we need to work on in the second game, but it was great getting the experience in a game setting." MVNU is slated to return to action on Thursday weather permitting with a non-conference doubleheader at the University of Rio Grande. First pitch of game one is slated for 3 p.m.

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