HIGHLIGHTS: GAME ONE | GAME TWO
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Another day, another season sweep for head coach Jim Beard and the Macomb Softball team. One day after outscoring Henry Ford 25-2 over a two-game sweep, the Monarchs outscored Delta by a 17-3 margin in a doubleheader in University Center Saturday (April 23). The Monarchs earned a hard-fought 5-2 win in game one and cruised in the series finale to top the host Pioneers, 12-1, in five innings.
With the pair of victories, the Monarchs secured a four-game season sweep over the Pioneers. Winners of their last four, the Monarchs have pushed their MCCAA Eastern Conference record to 13-7 and their overall record to 16-9.
CONGRATS!
Over the weekend, sixth-year head coach Jim Beard picked up his 100th win at Macomb! We will honor coach Tuesday (April 26) when the Monarchs host SC4. Sophomore Day will be Thursday (April 28) when the Monarchs host OCC.
GAME ONE: Macomb 5, Delta 2
Down 2-0 entering the fourth inning, the Monarchs received a boost in a big way when Elizabeth Townsend (Ira Twp., Mich./Anchor Bay) broke up a Delta no-hit bid with a no-doubt solo shot over the wall in right center. Townsend's blast, her team-leading seventh of the season and the 12th of her Macomb career, cut the Delta lead in half at 2-1.
Townsend's home run changed the momentum in the opener and the Monarchs capitalized one inning later when Danielle Erickson (Sterling Heights, Mich./Sterling Heights) and Jenna Casey (New Baltimore, Mich./Anchor Bay) connected on back-to-back RBI doubles to put the Monarchs in front by a 3-2 score in the fifth. Casey's double would stand as the game-winning hit in the opener as the pitching tandem of Jackie Seyfarth (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) and Carly Sierzenga (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) held the Pioneers to two unearned runs on six hits in game one.
The Monarchs would add on two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, the first on a Delta error that brought Natalie Lerchenfeld (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) in to score and the latter on a Samantha Scott (Romeo, Mich./Eisenhower) RBI single that brought Casey home to give the Blue & White a 5-2 edge and eventual three-run victory by the same tally.
Seyfarth got the start in the opener and was impressive, picking up the win after pitching 4.2 innings of unearned ball. The second-year pitcher scattered six Pioneer hits and struck out three before giving way to Sierzenga who tossed 2.1 innings of no-hit ball to earn her first save at the collegiate level.
GAME TWO: Macomb 12, Delta (5 inn.)
The Monarchs continued their offensive tear in game two, posting 12 runs on 14 hits in a 12-1 run-rule victory in five innings. With the 12-run outburst, the Monarchs outscored the Pioneers 17-3 on the day. Over the past two days, the Monarchs have outscored their MCCAA Eastern Conference counterparts (Henry Ford and Delta) by a stunning 42-5 margin.
A five-run first, followed by a three-run second, lifted the Monarchs to an early 8-1 lead and the Blue & White never looked back. Jenna Casey was on fire, recording a pair of doubles and a triple as part of a 3-for-3 effort with three runs scored in game two. Casey was joined in the three-hit club by Skye Norris (Macomb, Mich./Anchor Bay), who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a game-high three RBIs, and Elizabeth Townsend, who went 3-for-4 with double, RBI and two runs scored. Carly Sierzenga went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Emma Lautenbach (Warren, Mich./Center Line) recorded her first double at the collegiate level.
In all, the Monarchs recorded 11 RBIs on 12 runs scored with the final run coming on a Norris RBI single that brought Kennedi Sobol (Marine City, Mich./Marine City) in to score from third.
In the circle, Sierzenga picked up her ninth win of the season after only allowing one run on six hits while striking out three in the series finale.
UP NEXT: vs. SC4 Tuesday (April 26)
The Monarchs will welcome SC4 to Warren for a MCCAA Eastern Conference doubleheader Tuesday (April 26) at 3:00 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on www.MacombMonarchs.com/Watch.
