Owings Mills, MD (April 21) – The Stevenson Mustangs softball team earned a dramatic non-conference sweep over Susquehanna on Tuesday evening, rallying for an 11-10 extra-inning win in game one before cruising to a 9-1 run-rule victory in game two.
Game 1:
The Mustangs found themselves in an early back-and-forth contest after Susquehanna struck first in the second inning. Stevenson quickly responded in the bottom half, erupting for four runs to take control. A two-RBI double from
Maria Morsa sparked the rally, while
Rebecca Maiorano added an RBI single and another run scored on a wild pitch to give Stevenson a 4-1 advantage.
Susquehanna chipped away, tying the game at 4-4 by the fourth inning, but Stevenson regained the lead shortly after as Maiorano drove in another run to make it 5-4. The River Hawks answered again with a big fifth inning, capitalizing on miscues to plate four runs and jump ahead 8-5.
The Mustangs refused to back down, responding immediately in the bottom of the fifth when
Sahara Ward launched a three-run home run to even the score at 8-8. The game remained deadlocked until extra innings, where Susquehanna pushed across two runs in the eighth to take a 10-8 lead.
Stevenson delivered its most clutch moment in the bottom half. After
Olivia Munoz reached and advanced, Ward came through again with a two-RBI triple to tie the game. Moments later, Morsa sealed the comeback with a walk-off RBI single to secure the 11-10 victory.
Ward led the Mustangs offensively with a dominant performance, going 3-for-3 with five RBIs, including the game-tying and go-ahead sequences. Morsa added three hits and three RBIs, while Munoz also tallied three hits and scored three times.
In the circle,
Anna Sexton started the momentum for the Mustangs for 4.1 innings, as came in a closed out the win
Lilly Tinker (1-1) closed out the final 3.2 innings to secure the victory.
Game 2:
After a quiet opening inning, Stevenson's offense erupted in the second and never looked back. The Mustangs capitalized on defensive miscues to plate three runs in the frame, as
Caylee Cliett drove in the first run of the game, followed by RBI ground outs from
Tessa Boswell and
Mykaela Getz to make it 3-0.
Stevenson continued to build momentum in the third inning, adding two more runs. Maiorano reached on an error that allowed Ward to score, and
Ava Stafursky followed with an RBI double to extend the lead to 5-0.
Susquehanna managed to get on the board in the fourth, but the Mustangs quickly responded with their most explosive inning of the day. Taking advantage of another error and timely hitting, Stevenson pushed across four runs in the bottom half. Getz and Munoz both came around to score, while Maiorano delivered the big blow with a two-RBI single to left field, capping the scoring at 9-1.
Stafursky led the Mustangs offensively with a perfect 3-for-3 performance and an RBI, while Maiorano drove in a team-high two runs. Getz also contributed with an RBI and aggressive base running, including a stolen base.
In the circle,
Alexis Kirkessner (2-4) was strong, tossing a complete five-inning effort. The right-hander allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five to earn the win.
The Mustangs will close out MAC Commonwealth play and the regular season on Saturday, April 25, traveling to York (Pa.) for a doubleheader. First pitches are scheduled for 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM.
