IMMACULATA, Pa. – The Ursinus softball team powered through a chilly Tuesday afternoon to sweep a non-conference doubleheader against Immaculata. The Bears won game one 14-6 in six innings and held on for an 8-5 victory in game two.
With the wins, the Bears bounced back from their weekend series by improving to 9-6 overall. Meanwhile, the Mighty Macs of the Atlantic East fell to 4-14 overall.
GAME ONE
After the Bears were retired in order to start the game, the Mighty Macs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first before recording an out. Ursinus got on the board in the top of the second after back-to-back two-out doubles from juniors Amanda Panati and Jordan Moore. However, Immaculata created a two out rally of their own in the bottom half of the inning as they extended their lead to 6-1 following a two-run home run. The Bears continued the theme of scoring with two outs in the top of the third after sophomore Maddie Solow snuck a single through the right side with the bases loaded to score two runs, one coming from an error by the Mighty Macs left fielder to make it 6-3. Ursinus continued to chip away at the deficit in the top of the fourth as first-year Sarah Dunn drove in Moore with two outs on a single to bring the score to 6-4. Moore then tied the game at six in the top of the fifth on a two-out two-run double down the left field line.
After escaping a first and third jam in the bottom of the fifth, Ursinus ripped off six runs on five hits and two errors to put themselves in a position to end the game in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Julia Eckels led off the inning with a home run to put the Bears initially in front for good before a pair of singles plus a fielding error loaded the bases with no outs. Sophomore Sam Williams provided the biggest hit of the game for Ursinus in the next at-bat with a grand slam to straightaway centerfield to put the Bears up 11-6. Solow followed with the third home run of the inning for Ursinus to make it a 12-6 game and the Bears added two more runs off a wild pitch plus a groundout. Immaculata was retired in order during the bottom of the sixth to enact the run rule and end the game.
GAME TWO
Ursinus used a pair of singles from senior Mackenzie Brennan and junior Allyson Meakim to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Solow grounded out to score Brennan from third. The Mighty Macs tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a ground out as well by initially advancing their lead off hitter to third base after she reached on an error. Following a scoreless second inning, the Bears once again went back-to-back with home runs as Meakim and Solow put Ursinus up 3-1. Two batters later Panati ripped the third home run of the inning, a two-run blast, to left field to extend the lead to 5-1. Moore kept the big inning for the Bears going with a triple to center and came around to score on a single from first-year Samantha Mallen, making it a 6-1 game. Immaculata got a run back in the bottom of the third after their first batter of the inning initially reached and made it to second base off an errant throw to first. Ursinus got the run back in the top of the fifth to go up 7-2 after Moore drove in sophomore Sara Sullivan from third base on a groundout after she led the inning off with a single.
Each team left a pair of runners on base in the sixth inning and Panati ripped her second home run of the game to put the Bears up 8-2 in the top of the seventh. The Mighty Macs mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh after putting runners on second and third with no outs. Three singles cut the lead down to 8-5, leaving runners on first and second with one out and the potential tying run at the plate. Junior Alexis Miller was brought in to relieve starter Kayla McTamney and forced the next Mighty Mac batter to line into a double play to end the game.
The Bears hit seven home runs between the two games after having just hit one home run in their first 13 games. Solow went a combined 4-of-8 from the plate with two home runs, three runs scored, and four RBI's and Panati went 3-of-4 with three RBI's, two home runs, and two runs scored in game two. Moore went 3-of-4 from the dish with three RBI's and one run scored in game one and Williams went a perfect 4-of-4 from the plate in game one behind her grand slam and scored two runs. Meakim went 3-of-4 from the plate with one RBI in game two and Brennan went 2-of-4 with one run scored and two stolen bases in game two after sitting out game one. First-year pitcher Stephanie Wichman earned the win in game one after coming in for relief in the first inning and allowed two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts along with two walks in six innings of work. McTamney earned the win in game two after allowing five runs (three earned) on 10 hits and struck out two batters in 6.1 innings. Miller earned her second save of the season in game two after forcing a double play against her lone batter.
The Bears return to action tomorrow, March 30th as they will host Elizabethtown for their 2022 home opener at Snell Softball Field starting at 3 p.m.