Lady Cougars Close out Spring Trip with Split


	Lady Cougar Softball Recap Lady Cougars Close out Spring Trip with Split written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game #1 Boxscore \| Game #2 Boxscore CLERMONT, Fla. (3-22-2012) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's fastpitch softball team got two well-pitched games from its pitching staff and the Lady Cougars earned a split on the final day of games on Thursday on the team's annual spring trip to the National Training Center as MVNU fell 1-0 to Indiana Institute of Technology and bounced back for a 3-1 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan University. The first game of the day ironically ended up being decided by the second pitch of the game as the Lady Cougars (6-7) squared off with Indiana Tech (12-16). Martika Armstead blasted the second pitch she saw in the top of the first inning over the leftfield fence for a solo home run to give her team a 1-0 lead. That would prove to be the only scoring in the game as MVNU sophomore right-hander Ashley Riffell (2-2) and Sam Berrios of Indiana Tech were on top of their games in the pitchers' duel the rest of the way. Riffell was the hard-luck loser as she scattered eight hits, three walks, and one run over seven innings with two strikeouts. Meanwhile, Berrios allowed just five hits and one walk while tossing a shutout with five strikeouts. Sophomore infielder Kara Morrison led the Lady Cougars with two hits. MVNU stranded nine base runners in the game and had several opportunities to get on the scoreboard, but the Lady Cougars were never able to come up with the clutch hit when they needed it. Armstead led Indiana Tech by going 3-for-4, while Kelsey Kline collected two hits. Indiana Tech stranded 10 base runners in the contest. The second game of the day featured MVNU taking on Nebraska Wesleyan (0-7). The Lady Cougars struck first in the top of the second inning when freshman first baseman Grace Basinger and junior third baseman Kelsey Berryman both had a one-out single. Then, junior right-handed pitcher Jill Wildermuth doubled to leftfield to drive in a run and give MVNU a 1-0 lead. Nebraska Wesleyan used three hits and a walk to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning. However, Wildermuth and the Lady Cougars were able to work out of a bases-loaded situation and minimize the damage. The game remained tied until the top of the sixth inning when MVNU got a two-out, RBI double by senior outfielder MacKenzie Shaw followed by a run-scoring single by junior catcher Kayleigh Williams as the Lady Cougars took a 3-1 lead. That would be all the runs that MVNU would need as Wildermuth (4-3) shut down Nebraska Wesleyan the rest of the way to post the complete game win. She allowed just five hits, one walk, and one run over seven innings with three strikeouts. Brenna Maguire took the loss as she surrendered eight hits, four walks, and three runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts. Shaw paced the Lady Cougars by going 3-for-4, while Wildermuth helped her own cause by collecting a pair of hits. Nebraska Wesleyan was limited to five singles by five different players. MVNU will now return north and will be back in action next Wednesday when the Lady Cougars travel to Urbana University for a non-conference doubleheader that will start at 3 p.m.

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