FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Miller Homers but Mounties Come Up Short
 
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Megan Miller scored an in-the-park homer un in the top of the sixth, but it wouldn't prove to be enough as Mansfield lost to Edinboro 6-3 at the Shaw University Softball Challenge.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Kaitlyn Hewitt hit a one-out single to center field for the first hit of the game. With two outs on the board, Melanie Taylor hit a long triple to left field to bring Hewitt home and put Mansfield up 1-0 in the top of the second.
 
Edinboro's Brooke Callaghan responded to Taylor's triple with one of her own in the bottom of the second. Callaghan put Edinboro on the board on a fielder's choice to tie the game at one. With one out and Taylor Payne on first, Courtney Bauder had a heads-up double play as the senior's throw from centerfield beat Payne back to first after catching a fly ball from Jessica Hyland.
 
With bases loaded and only one out in the bottom of the third, freshman pitcher Sierra Storm and the rest of the Mansfield defense made a stand. Catcher Hannah Secord tagged Edinboro's Theresa Fleckenstein out at home off a grounder to Casey Pearce at third base. Mansfield got out of the inning unscathed as Kylie Mason grounded out to Amanda Goodwin.
 
After walking two batters in the bottom of the fourth, Fleckenstein hit a two RBI triple to put Edinboro up 2-0. Fleckenstein would score on a Laura Crooks single to make the score 3-0 going into the top of the fifth inning.
 
Pearce drew a walk in the top of the fourth, but was left stranded on a foul fly out to Fleckenstein.
 
Edinboro's Mason led-off the bottom of the fifth with a double to right field. The shortstop was hit home on a Haley Struebing triple to bring Edinboro up 4-0.
 
The Mounties weren't ready to throw in the towel though. With two outs on the board in the top of the sixth, freshman Taylor Chidester reached first on a fielding error. On the first pitch of her at-bat, Miller cranked a shot all the way to right center for a two RBI in-the-park home run to bring Mansfield back within two runs.
 
With the score at 5-3 Edinboro in the bottom of the sixth, junior Laura Knight went to the mound for the Mounties. Hyland led off the inning with a double to left field. Hyland would score off a sacrifice fly from TL Wreh-Wilson to bring to score to 6-3, but Bauder showed off her amazing defense with another double play from center. Right after the senior caught sacrifice fly from Wreh-Wilson, Bauder had a long throw to Knight in front of home plate. Knight then relayed to Pearce to get Fleckenstein out at third to complete Mansfield's second double play of the game. The final out of the sixth game on a groundout to Knight.
 
Leading off the seventh inning, Taylor led-off Mansfield with a walk. With two outs, Bauder got to first and Taylor to second on a fielding error. However, the Mounties would come up short on a lineout to the shortstop.
 
Payne (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Edinboro (2-1) with nine strikeouts and four hits against. Storm (0-1) picked up the loss for Mansfield (1-1) with one strikeout and three hits against.
 
Mansfield was led at the plate by Miller (1-3, two RBI, one run, one home run), Taylor (1-2, one RBI) and Hewitt (1-2, one run).
 
Mansfield takes on Shaw in a double header at 8 and 10 am followed by a game against St. Augustine's at 2 pm.