Inman Pitches and Hits Mansfield to Win over Shepherd

TROUTVILLE,VA – Ashley Inman tossed a complete game and hit a three-run home run to lift Mansfield to a 6-5 win over Shepherd at the West Virginia Wesleyan Challenge Sunday morning.

Mansfield jumped out to an early lead when Rachael Sterner drilled a two-out solo home run over the center field fence in the top of the first inning. Megan Miller reached on an error and advanced to second on a single by Kayla Hahn. Inman then stepped to the plate and drove a pitch over the left center field fence for a three-run home run giving the Mountaineers a 4-0 lead after the first half inning of play.

Shepherd got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on a pair of Mountaineer errors.

Mansfield increased its lead to 5-1 with a run in the third with Megan Miller leading off the inning with a single up the middle. Brooke Roys ran for Miller and was sacrificed to second by Hahn. Inman then doubled to left to plate Roys.

Shepherd answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Connor Gilligan and runs coring double from Kaitlin Munda to close the gap to 5-3.

The score remained the same until the seventh inning when freshman Leah McGovern led off with a single and moved to second on a single by Sterner. Koryn Wickwire then delivered the third straight single of the inning to drive in McGovern with what would prove to be the winning run.

Mansfield took a 6-3 into the bottom of the seventh with Inman still on the mound. Shepard drew a walk to open the inning followed by a single. Both runners moved up on a ground out before Gilligan tripled with one out driving in two runs and making it a one run game at 6-5.

Needing two outs with a runner of third, Inman struck out the next batter looking and got the final batter to ground out to shortstop to preserve the win.

Inman scattered seven hits and struck out three in picking up her fourth win of the season. The senior also went 2-4 with a double and home run while driving in four runs. Sterner was 3-4 including her PSAC leading sixth home run of the season.

Connor Gilligan led Shepherd going 3-3 with a triple and three RBI's. Tara Hanson was charged with the loss.

Mansfield closes out its non-conference schedule with an 8-9 record. The Mountaineers open conference play at Pitt-Johnstown on March 25.