DAYTON, Ohio (3/25/17) – The University of Detroit Mercy softball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Wright State on Saturday afternoon from the WSU Softball Field. The wins give the Titans a 2-1 series win over the Raiders in the Horizon League opening series for both sides.
The Titans won a pair of contrasting games, riding sophomore
Ashley Mauser and freshman
Liz Murphy to a 1-0 shutout win in the opener and coming back from a five-run deficit to take game two's slugfest in extra innings, 9-7.
Detroit Mercy piled up 21 hits on the day, with six Titans collecting multiple base knocks. Sophomore
Courtney Gilbert led the way with four hits in eight at-bats, including a pair of doubles and three RBI. Junior
Savvy Ferstle went 3-for-8 on the day with a RBI, double and walk, followed by senior
Alyssa James who went 3-for-7 with two runs and a walk.
Murphy pitched the final two innings of game one and eight innings of game two, picking up the win in each game. In total, Murphy allowed one run on six hits in 10 innings of work. Sophomore
Ashley Mauser got the start in game one and threw five scoreless frames before receiving the no decision.
GAME ONE: DETROIT MERCY 1 – WRIGHT STATE 0
The Titans stranded at least one runner on base in each of the first three innings as Mauser kept the Raider bats at bay from the circle.
After leaving a runner on base in the fifth and the bases loaded in the sixth, Detroit Mercy finally broke through in the seventh as
Cheyenne Willeford singled and stole second before coming around to score on a RBI double from Gilbert.
Murphy fired a 1-2-3 seventh to give the Titans the close win.
Gilbert piled up three hits in four at-bats to lead the Titan offense. Willeford, Ferstle, James and Manno each added a hit in the victory.
Mauser threw five scoreless innings while striking out two and giving up just three hits and three walks. Murphy threw the final two innings to get credit for the win, allowing one hit in two scoreless frames.
GAME TWO: DETROIT MERCY 9 – WRIGHT STATE 7 (9 INN.)
The Titans struck in the top of the first with a run, but Wright State roared back with six runs in the bottom of the frame.
Facing a five-run hole, the Titan offense went to work as Murphy came on in relief and cooled off the Raider attack. Detroit Mercy scored three in the second, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Gilbert, and added two in the third on hits from Manno and
Elizabeth Yager to knot the game at 6-6.
Wright State went back ahead with a run in the bottom of the third and carried the lead into the sixth before Ferstle tied the game on a RBI double.
The game would head into extras before Detroit Mercy took control in the top of the ninth. James led off with a single, Manno walked and Pollock singled to lead the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Yager broke the tie with a RBI to left field and Willeford pushed the lead to two with a sacrifice.
Wright State picked up a triple and a walk to put the tying run on base, but Murphy would have no more and ended the threat and give Detroit Mercy the win.
Four Titans picked up multiple hits in the win, with Yager leading the way on three hits in five at-bats and two RBI. Villagrana went 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI, Ferstle was 2-for-5 with two RBI and James was 2-for-4 with two runs.
Gilbert picked up two RBI and Manno scored twice to cap the top offensive performers for Detroit Mercy.
ON DECK
The Titans return to Horizon League play next weekend at UIC. The Titans and Flames begin the three-game set with a single game on Friday, Mar. 31, and close with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 1.
