Batesville, AR - The MNU Softball team finished the 2010 Lyon College Invitational with two wins and improved their season record to 3-1. In this opener MNU beat Kansas Wesleyan 9-1 in 6 innings and
Jordan Payne (1-0) picked up her first victory of the season. The Pioneers completed the day with a 1-0 win over host team Lyon College and
Penny Eastman Improved to 2-0.
Transfer sophomore
Jordan Payne began her MNU career in strong fashion as she threw 5 innings and gave the Pioneers the win. She surrendered just 3 hits, 4 walks, and struck out 4 in her outing. Sophomore transfer
Becca McCoy added a scoreless inning to close the game with no hits or walks and two strikeouts. “Our pitching the first game was outstanding”, says MNU Coach Steve Babinski, “Both kids were itching to pitch and were able to get rid of some butterflies. Jordan was really effective and had a good mix going while Becca came in and closed it out with a great mix of her own.” The offense woke up from the 4 total hits in the two games the day before and rattled off 11 hits with 5 walks and 2 hit by pitches.
The scoring started for MNU in the bottom of the 2
nd inning when Junior
Brianna Payne singled in Junior
Taylor Ryal and Freshman
Leslie Jones. Junior
Emily True then doubled in senior
Ashley Mayhle and Payne. The scoring continued in the 3
rd with Mayhle doubled in Ryal making it 5-1. MNU then added two more in the 5
th when
Brianna Payne hit in
Ashley Mayhle on a fielder's choice and sophomore
Cait Gardner scored on a past ball. The last of the scoring came in the 6
th when Mayhle tagged a 2-run homerun to clinch the run rule.
Leading the offense was
Taylor Ryal 3-4, 2 2B, 2 Runs.
Ashley Mayhle 2-2, 2B, HR, 3 Runs, 3 RBI, BB, HBP.
Brianna Payne 2-4, 3 RBI, a Run, and a stolen base.
Ashley Salter 2-4.
Emily True 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, SB.
Game two was a pitching duel led by Senior
Penny Eastman. Eastman (2-0) held Lyon College to 3 hits over 7 innings while walking 5 and striking out 16. 16 strike outs ties an MNU school record set by Eastman last year against Hillsdale Freewill Baptist College. MNU's lone run came in the 6
th inning as junior
Emily True (1) led off the inning with a solo homerun. That proved to be all that Eastman would need as the MNU Pioneers defeated Lyon College 1-0.
Jennifer Costa added 2 hits while
Brianna Payne and
Leslie Jones each added a single.
The Pioneers are now 3-1 and are planning to suit up next at the 2010 MNU Invite on Feb 26th-27th.
