Lions Rally to Earn Sweep over King
February 18, 2012MARS HILL, N.C.—After taking game one 4-1, Mars Hill’s softball team rallied to overcome a late deficit and a earn a 3-2 victory for the sweep over King at Ponder Park Saturday afternoon. Mars Hill improves to 8-6 on the season, while King falls to 2-2.
The Lions rode good pitching and timely hitting in each contest. Taylor Morris earned a pair of victories in the circle and added the game-winning sacrifice fly in game two. Natalie Haithcox paced the Lions offensively with four hits, including a pair of solo home runs. Tiffany Harris had three hits and an RBI for the visitors from King.
Game One
Haithcox’s two home runs and a good pitching effort led the Lions to the 4-1 victory.
Mars Hill broke through in the second inning. Shaundee Woosley singled and advanced to second on an error in to start the inning, and a sacrifice bunt by Stephanie McGrath moved Woosley to third. Megan Arrington’s double put the Lions on top 1-0. Arrington then swiped third, and scored on a perfectly placed bunt-single by Ashley McCurry to make the score 2-0.
The first of Haithcox’s home runs, a bomb to deep center field made the score 3-0 in the bottom of the third.
King countered by mounting a rally in the top of the fourth. A Fallon Thomas single with the bases loaded cut the Mars Hill to 3-1. With the Tornados poised to put more runs on the board with the bases loaded and nobody out, Morris beared down and worked out of the inning, inducing a lazy fly out to left, striking out a batter, and inducing a groundout to second. Morris went five innings, allowing a single run on six hits, striking out four.
Haithcox made the score 4-1, showing off her power to all fields with a line shot to right for the home run. Haithcox was a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish in the game, and now has five home runs on the season. Taylor Hussey closed out the game in the circle for the Lions for her first career save.
Kendall Brabson had two hits in game one for the Tornados.
Game Two
The Lions trailed 2-1 in the late innings, but rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the victory.
King drew first blood in the top of the first on an RBI-single by Harris to make the score 1-0. Mars Hill countered in the bottom of the third to tie the game at one-apiece. After drawing a one-out walk, Arrington swiped second and third to put herself in scoring position. A single off the pitcher by Robyn Stanek scored Arrington to tie the game.
King took the lead back in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Tiffany Brand ripped one of the middle that deflected off pitcher Sarah Kruysman to score Brabson, who had been hit by a pitch.
Trailing 2-1 going into the bottom of the sixth, the Lions rallied. Stanek and Haithcox got the rally started with back-to-back singles. A wild pitch put both in scoring position. Another wild pitch skipped away just enough for Stanek to score from third and tie the score. Morris then hit a fly to right field that was just deep enough to score Haithcox from third and give the Lions a 3-2 lead.
Morris picked up the win for the Lions, working two innings of scoreless relief.
Mars Hill will be in action again on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Young-Harris. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
