This past weekend, softball (2-12, 0-0 MAC) took home just one win at the Wofford Invitational in Spartansburg, South Carolina. The invite took off on Friday morning against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (8-10, 0-0 Summit) with a quick win of 12-2 in just 5 innings.
The game opened with junior outfielder Mia Mitchell scoring to start her hot streak of the day and bring the Bulls to 2-0 in the first inning. The Fighting Hawks quickly tied up in the top of the second, but the Bulls fought back, closing the second 3-2.
The Bulls really took off in the fourth inning, scoring 8 runs on 7 hits during which freshman catcher Ardyn Hopf hit her first career double, scoring junior catcher Lily Lauck. The matchup finished during the top of the fifth with freshman pitcher Genevieve Longsdorf having a strikeout and a walk.
Friday afternoon saw the Bulls earn their first loss of the invite against the hosting Wofford Terriers (14-6, 0-0 Southern). Mitchell continued her streak with a solo home run to open the game before the Terriers tied the game. The Bulls added one final point in the sixth before the Terriers began their comeback to win with a final score of 5-4.
Though the Bulls were unable to secure the win, Mitchell had an excellent day with four RBIs, four runs scored, two home runs, and two stolen bases.
Saturday morning started off with a loss against the Tennessee State Tigers (7-6, 0-0 OVH). The Bulls opened the inning with an RBI from freshman utility Isabella Smithson to score Lauck. The Tigers quickly combatted that with a two-run homer and scored six runs in the second inning. The Tigers scored 2 more runs to bring the final score to 10-2.
This game was followed by a rematch against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. While the Fighting Hawks put up four runs in the top of the third, the Bulls fought back tying the game at 5-5. North Dakota took the lead in the fifth inning with a home run and a run in the seventh. The Bulls ultimately ended up with a loss of 7-6.
The final game of the invite was a rematch against the Tennessee State Tigers on Sunday morning. The Bulls struggled to bring the momentum offensively, getting close with Lauck and Nagel on second and third base, but were unable to seal the deal. The Tigers were able to make it 2-0 in the first inning, and gained 2 more runs towards the end of the game, making a final score of 4-0.
The Bulls will be back this Friday, March 7, at the Marshal March Madness Tournament in Huntington, West Virginia with another five-game weekend.
They will face off against the Valparaiso Beacons (7-6, 0-0 Horizon League), Loyola University Chicago (3-15,0-0 A-10) and the hosting Marshall Thundering Herd (6-11, 0-0 SBC).
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
