PULASKI, Tenn. - A Chrissy Darnell grand slam lifted MMC softball to an 8-0 win in the opener against Freed Hardeman University on Tuesday afternoon, but the RedHawks would fall short, 3-2, in the second of the pair.
The RedHawks struck first in the first game, as the two, three, four hitters in the lineup loaded the bases, and Darnell launched a grand slam to help her own cause as starting pitcher. As MMC scored one in each the fourth and fifth innings for a 6-0 ballgame, Darnell kept FHU silent, as the Lions only tallied five hits against her.
Martin Methodist then went to work in the sixth to complete the mercy game, as Alley Benefield led off with a single and scored on Chae Ellis triple. Ellis then scored as Ashton Cowan bunted, ending the game an inning early.
A three-inning third inning for the Lions would be all they needed to secure the second game win, as the RedHawks struggled to find their bats.
MMC scored their first run in the bottom of the third, as
Chrissy Worth and
Cynthia Takahashi led off with back-to-back base hits. A
Veronika Fukunishi sacrifice fly plated Worth to cut the FHU lead to 3-1. The RedHawks threatened, as Benefield scored on a ground out in the fifth, but the effort would fall short, despite two runners in left scoring position in the seventh.
Worth suffered the second game loss with three runs on five hits and just a single walk, as Darnell collected the first game win.
The RedHawks will continue league competition on Wednesday, March 28th at Cumberland University, taking a 20-12 overall record, 4-4 in the conference, on the road.
