Mounties Get Strong Team Effort in Sweep over Millersville

MILLERSVILLE – Courtney Bauder blasted a game-opening home run and Ashley Inman threw a complete game six-hitter in the opener while Rachael Sterner drove in three runs in the nightcap to lead Mansfield to a sweep over Millersville in a PSAC East softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon.

Mansfield won the opener 5-1 and took the nightcap 6-3.

In the opener, Bauder started the game by drilling a ball over the left field fence in the first at-bat of the contest giving Mansfield a 1-0 lead.

Mansfield scored three times in the top of the third when Laura Lawson hit a one-out single down the line followed by a single by Bauder. Taylor Chidester delivered a single to center to score both runners and Amanda Goodwin doubled in Chidester for a 4-0 lead.

Millersville score a run in the bottom of the fourth on a run scoring single by Gabbie Berry to cut the gap to 4-1 but Mansfield got the run back in the top of the fifth when Sterner drew a bases-loaded walk putting the Mountaineers up 5-1.

Inman was money after that allowing just one hit over the final three innings to pick up her second win in two days to improve to 7-8 on the season.

Bauder went 3-4 including her third home run of the season and 14th over her career. Chidester went 2-3 and drove in two runs with Goodwin going 2-4 with a double and RBI.

Cassidy Pinchorski started and took the loss for Millersville with Stephanie Kulp going 2-3.

In the nightcap, Mansfield scored three times in the top of the first on a two-run single from Sterner and RBI single from freshman Megan Boyce.

The Mountaineers increased their lead to 6-0 with three more runs in the top of the fourth when Kayla Allen singled with one out and scored on a double by Bauder. Goodwin then singled to drive in Bauder. Sterner drove in Goodwin with a double to left center.

Laura Knight was impressive in her second-ever collegiate start throwing shutout ball over the first four innings of the game scattering six hits and striking out two in picking up the win.

Millersville got a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and pulled to 6-3 with another run in the sixth before freshman Chelsey Heatley, who came in relief for Knight in the fifth inning, retired the last four batter in order to preserve the win.

Sterner went 3-4 with a double and three RBI's to lead the offense with Bauder going 2-4 with a double and run batted in.

Brianna Andraos started and took the loss for Millersville.

Mansfield has now won three of its last four conference games to improve to 10-18-1 overall.

The Mountaineers travel to Lock Haven on Sunday.