Mars Hill sweeps UVA Wise in regular season finale
Lions clinch first 30-win season since 2008; best SAC finish since 2013 (5th).
WISE, Va. - The Mars Hill softball team (31-15, 12-10 SAC) swept UVA Wise (25-21, 7-15 SAC) Thursday afternoon on the road by scores of 7-5 and 4-3 in extras.
GAME ONE: MHU 7, WISE 5
Kamryn Akins set a new Mars Hill record with her 16th win of the season. The junior struck out eight in her final regular season game of the year.
She ended the regular season tying the MHU record with five shutouts on the year, which ranked first in the South Atlantic Conference. Her 1.82 ERA led the SAC and was the fifth best season in MHU history. She placed second in the conference in K/7 (7.94; 3rd best mark in MHU history), third in strikeouts (144; 2nd best in MHU history).
The Lions were led offensively by Jessica Senn and Brooke Hanson, each recording two hits on the day and three RBI. Sade Cecil and Bri Weimer each added two hits while Weimer and Hodges led the team with two runs scored.
GAME TWO: MHU 4, WISE 3 - 8 Innings
Mars Hill plated two in the top of the eighth, fending off the Cavaliers for the series sweep and clinching the No. 5 seed in the South Atlantic Conference tournament.
Tied at two, Daci Sarver's RBI single allowed Leah Grimes to score the game-winning run, also advancing Camryn Sterling to third. Sterling later scored off of Sadie Cecil's sacrifice fly to center, padding the Mars Hill lead.
UVA Wise led 2-0 after three, highlighted by Kennedy Miller's RBI double up the middle.
In the top of the fourth, Jessica Senn cut the deficit to one with a solo shot over the right field wall. Later in the frame, Sterling plated Brooke Hanson with a RBI single down the same line.
Cecil and Sarver led the Lions with two hits apiece. Lindsey Polan and Savannah Johnson led the Cavaliers with two hits on the day.
Vivan Stone was credited with the win, allowing one run on two hits in 3.0 innings thrown. Maddy Lowry started the contest, throwing 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits.
The Lions' pair of wins pushed them to the 30-win club and the third winningest season in Mars Hill history (35-2008, 34-2007). Their fifth place finish is the best in conference since the 2013 season, which marked the last time the Lions had made the postseason tournament in back-to-back years (2012 & 2013).
Despite tying Lincoln Memorial in the SAC standings with a 12-10 record, the Railsplitters earned the No. 4 seed with their sweep over Mars Hill on April 4, taking game one by a score of 8-5 and game two by a score of 11-8.
Mars Hill will travel to Harrogate, Tennessee on Friday, May 1 to face the Railsplitters in game one. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
Saturday's game two is set for 1 p.m. and, if necessary, game three is slated for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.
