ROSEMONT, Ill. (2/12/17) – The University of Detroit Mercy softball team defeated Western Illinois University, 5-1, on the final morning of the Total Control Sports Invitational hosted by UIC.
 
Freshman Liz Murphy picked up her second win of the season to improve to 2-1. The righty fired a complete game while scattering nine hits and five walks. Murphy leaned on the defense behind her to limit the Leathernecks to a single run.
 
Trailing 1-0 after three, the Titan offense awoke in the fourth and fifth innings. Detroit Mercy scored twice on three hits in each frame to go ahead 4-1.
 
The Titans added an insurance run in the top of the seventh and Murphy worked out of a jam in the bottom of the frame to give Detroit Mercy the 5-1 win.
 
Senior Alyssa James went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and a RBI to highlight the offense. Classmate Grace Schmeiser went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI and newcomer Sydney Pollock added a 2-for-3 performance as well.
 
Six Titans combined for nine hits in the win.
 
With the result, the Titans head home after a 2-3 start to the 2017 season. Detroit Mercy has nearly two weeks off before returning to action at the Madeira Beach Tournament in the Sunshine State.
 
Through the first five games of the season, the Titans are hitting .314 with 20 walks drawn for a .406 on-base percentage, with 12 steals on the base paths and 25 runs across the plate. The pitching staff sports a 3.09 ERA after the weekend.