Anna Blake

WOOSTER, Ohio – Four runs allowed in the top of the seventh inning spoiled what was overall a solid outing for the Fighting Scots softball team, as the University of Mount Union came into Galpin Park and took two over The College of Wooster on Thursday evening.

Sophomore Marina Roski belted her seventh home run of the season in a 3-1 Game 1 loss to break the program's single-season record, as she surpassed alumna Georgia Hill's previous mark of six set in 2014.

In the opener, the Purple Raiders (15-21) took the go-ahead lead in the second inning when Allie Goldy scored from third after sophomore catcher Morgan Bailey's pickoff throw drifted off target. The visitors tacked on two more in the top of the third with a pair of RBI singles before Roski answered with the Scots' lone run in the bottom half of the frame.

Wooster (12-22) threatened in the bottom of the sixth after three consecutive singles from Roski, junior Chelsea Copley, and first-year Heidi Likins loaded the bases with no outs. From there, Bailey batted into a fielder's choice to third base with Roski being forced out at home before first-year Alexis Bauer bunted into a 2-3 double play.

After a one-two-three top of the seventh, first-year Torrey Totman laid down a surprise bunt single and eventually reached second with two outs after a single through the right side from first-year Emmalee Cooke. With the winning run at the plate, Roski connected on a shallow ball to left field, but a diving effort from Mount Union's Jordan Kramer sealed the Game 1 win.

Wooster rebounded early in Game 2 with a quick 1-0 lead through the first inning. Senior Maddy Chase walked to open the frame, followed by consecutive fielder's choices from Cooke and Roski. With two outs down, Copley connected to put runners at first and second before Likins bloop-singled to right field to score Roski from second.

Defensively, the Scots got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the third. After a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out down for first-year pitcher Olivia Johnson, classmate Totman ran down a fly-out to center and fired a throw to Bauer at home. The runner at third, who intended to cross home on the sac fly, hesitated and tried to retreat, but a throw to Likins at third caught Jenna Liles in no-man's land for the easy tag.

After the Purples Raiders halved the deficit in the fourth, Wooster turned in one more run in the bottom of the sixth as senior Anna Blake came through with her second hit of the game to get on with nobody out. Up next, sophomore Savanna Hitlan, who pinch hit for Bauer, moved first-year Rachel Ginsburg – Blake's pinch runner – to second on a groundout before ultimately reaching third after a single from Totman. With runners at the corners, Chase nailed one through the third baseman's legs to score Ginsburg and bring the Scots up 3-1.

The top of the seventh spelled trouble for Wooster, however, as the Scots allowed four runs on four hits, including two doubles, to head into the final frame down 5-3. Copley drew a leadoff walk and Likins singled up the middle, while first-year Marissa Norgrove laid down a sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position. With one out down, Ginsburg attempted to lay down a bunt along the first-base line but wound up getting tagged out by the pitcher, who then created a run-down opportunity as Copley was eventually tagged by the catcher to end the play and the game.

The Scots will look to rebound on Saturday as they host Ohio Wesleyan University (14-14, 7-7 North Coast Athletic Conference) for a doubleheader at Galpin Park starting at 1 p.m.