Powered by a team-high three RBI on the day from sophomore Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) and wins in the circle from junior Alexis Carmichael (Allen, Texas/Allen) and freshman Katelyn Shephard (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont), the Mercy College softball team earned a 9-5 win over Walsh and a 6-1 victory over No. 25 Gannon on Monday afternoon.

The Mavericks (6-2) have won four games in a row, while the Cavaliers (1-6) have dropped six of their first seven games and the Golden Knights (2-2) sit at .500 on the year.

Game 1: Mercy 9, Walsh 5

Mercy broke through with the game's first run in the top of the first when senior Mikayla Newham (Redding, Calif./Yavapai College) scored on a passed ball after leading off the game with a double. Walsh answered back in the bottom of the first with a run to tie the game up at 1-1.

REPLAY | Mercy vs Walsh

After a scoreless second inning, Mercy tacked on two more runs to take a 3-1 lead. Newham stole home and junior Erika Byrne (San Diego, Calif./San Diego Mesa College) singled home Mueller to cap off the scoring in the inning. The Cavaliers made it 3-2 after scoring a run in the bottom of the inning.

The Mavericks put together two more runs in the fourth inning to build a 5-2 lead. Junior Jessica Lombardi (Cliffside Park, N.J./Cliffside Park) had the big blow in the inning when she singled home junior Breanna Wheeler (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta) and junior Erica Handegard (Reno, Nev./Earl Wooster).

Mercy put together three more runs in the fifth inning to take an 8-2 lead. Handegard hit an RBI single that scored senior Kaylee Stevens Simi Valley, Caif./Royal) who singled earlier in the inning. Senior Marisa Miano (Las Vegas, Nev./Colorado Mesa University) later delivered a two-run single that plated Handegard and senior Raina Gorman (Ardsley, N.Y./Florida Southwestern State College) to give Mercy a comfortable lead.

The Mavericks put together their final run of the game in the sixth inning when Stevens smacked an RBI double that scored Mueller to make it 9-2. Walsh added two runs in the sixth and a run in the seventh but it was not enough to overcome the Mavericks.

Newham and Mueller both went 3-for-4 with two runs. Stevens went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Handegard went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Miano and Lombardi both went 1-for-3 with two RBI and freshman Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) went 2-for-2. Byrne went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Carmichael pitched six innings in the circle with two earned runs allowed to pick up the win. Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) recorded the final out to earn a save.

Game 2: Mercy 6, Gannon 1

Mercy jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Mueller singled home Newham who led off the inning with a single and stolen base. Sophomore Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) later brought home Mueller with a single to left field that made it 2-0.

REPLAY | Mercy vs Gannon

After a scoreless inning put up by Shephard, the Mavericks added on three more runs in the second inning to build a 5-0 lead. Mueller recorded a two-run single up the middle that scored freshman Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) and Wheeler to make it 4-0. Bowman brought home the final run of the inning on a groundout to first that scored Newham.

Shephard kept the Golden Knights off the board in the third and Mercy went back to work in the bottom of the inning, scoring another run to take a 6-0 lead. Senior Emma Gilaga(Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) walked and Wheeler singled to put runners on first and second. Both advanced a base on a wild pitch before Crawford scored Gilaga with a sacrifice fly to left field that made it 6-0.

Gannon would score a run in the top of the sixth but it was not enough as Mercy came away with the win.

Mueller went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Newham went 2-for-4 with two runs. Akers went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Wheeler went 2-for-3. Shephard pitched 5.2 innings with just one run allowed to earn her second win. Gonzalez pitched the final 1.1 innings with no runs allowed.

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