No. 21 Mount Union Slips by the Berg

The nationally-ranked Mount Union College softball team barely slipped by Heidelberg College in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader. The no. 21 Purple Raiders won the first game 5-3 and the second 4-2. Heidelberg falls to 7-27 on the year, 3-15 in the OAC, while Mount stands at 33-7 overall, 14-4 in the conference.

In the first game, Mount jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the second inning. Heidelberg finally posted a run of its own in the fifth when Coree Price (Prospect, Ohio / North Union) singled to drive Dessiree Burtch (Prospect, Ohio / Elgin) across the plate. Mount scored it fifth and final run right after in the bottom of the fifth, but the Berg answered back right away with another run in the sixth. This time Ashley Foust (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora) led off the inning with a solo homerun. In the seventh, the Berg’s hopes for a comeback victory were dashed after the team was only able to plate one run when Jerrica Sweetnich (Garfield Heights, Ohio / Garfield Heights) doubled and picked up a RBI when Price scored.

Price led the team at the plate for the game, going 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Crystal Killoran (South Euclid, Ohio / Brush) contributed two hits and a double to the mix as well. Katie Allenspach (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora) picked up the loss for the Berg. She allowed nine hits, four earned runs, and walked two in six innings of work on the mound.

Heidelberg scored first in the second game, plating two runs in the fourth. Andrea Gerdeman (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf) doubled and then advanced to third, picking up two RBIs on the way. Mount quickly moved ahead, however, when the Purple Raiders scored three in the bottom of the fourth. They scored one more in the sixth to secure the win.

Gerdeman led the offensive push for the Berg, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a double, while Foust and Allenspach each contributed a hit and a run. Nicole Bachman (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Memorial) pitched for the loss. In 3.2 innings of work she did not allow a single hit, but walked six and struck out four. Sweetnich finished off the fourth inning for her and Allenspach took to the mound in the fifth inning to finish off the game.

Defensively for the day for Heidelberg, Gerdeman posted a team-high 11 putouts and Price tossed in six assists.

Heidelberg takes to the field again on Monday, April 28, in a non-conference doubleheader against Notre Dame College at home. Play is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.