Mountie Bats Explode for Three Wins at Day Two of Shaw Challenge

WILMINGTON, NC – Courtney Bauder hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in nine runs while Ashley Inman picked up two wins as Mansfield exploded with 38 runs in recording three wins on day two of the Shaw Challenge in Wilmington, NC Monday.

Mansfield swept host Shaw 12-1, 13-7 in a morning doubleheader before beating St. Augustine's 13-1 in five innings in an afternoon game.

The Mountaineers pounded out 32 hits over the three games including seven doubles, four triples and two home runs.

In the opener Mansfield scored on a Taylor Chidester double down the left field line in the first before adding five runs in the third and six more in the fourth.

Bauder went 2-3 with an inside-the-park grand slam in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach. Chidester went 2-2 with a pair of doubles and drove in two runs with Kayla Hahn going 2-3. Inman went the distance scattering three hits and not allowing an earned run while striking out eight.

In the second game of the twinbill, Shaw jumped out to a 5-2 lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and another in the fifth before the Mountaineers exploded for nine runs in the top of the sixth.

Mansfield got an RBI single from Hahn to close the gap to 6-4 before Bauder doubled to pull to within a run. Chidester singled to left to drive in another run tying the game at 6-6. RBI singles by Megan Miller and Melanie Taylor gave Mansfield an 8-6 lead before freshman Morgan Boyce drilled a two-run triple down the leftfield line to increase the advantage to 10-6.

Laura Knight picked up her first win of the season in relief of starter Sierra Storm. Knight went 2.1 innings allowing an earned run while striking out two. Inman closed out the game by going the last 1.2 innings and striking out three.

Miller went 3-5 with a double, triple and three RBI's while Boyce went 2-3 with a double, triple and two RBI's. Chidester was 3-5 while Inman, Bauder and Hahn each had two hits apiece.

In the day's final game, Mansfield scored three runs in the first keyed by a two-run triple by Miller while Bauder had her second inside-the-park home run in the second inning to drive in two runs.

The Mountaineers added five more in the third with three of them coming on a double by Miller, and singles by Hahn and Laura Lawson.

Inman started and was credited with the win with relief from Rachael Sterner and Chelsey Heatley.

For the day, Bauder went 6-11 with a double, two home runs and nine RBI's. Miller was 6-10 at the plate with a pair of doubles, two triples and six runs driven in. Chidester also had six hits on the day with a pair of double and six RBI's.

Inman worked 8.2 innings in the circle scattering seven hits and giving up no earned runs while striking out 13.

Mansfield improves to 4-1 on the season.