TOWNSEND WALK-OFF: YOUTUBE
WARREN, Mich. – What a day for Macomb Softball! The Monarchs improved to 11-6 overall and 8-4 in the MCCAA Eastern Conference after sweeping the visiting Pioneers of Delta College Saturday (April 9) in Warren. Trailing in extra innings, the Monarchs muscled two home runs to earn a come-from-behind, walk-off win in game one by a 7-4 final tally. In game two, the Monarchs were in cruise control and went on to post a 9-0 victory in five innings.
With the pair of losses Saturday, the Pioneers moved to 0-5 overall and 0-5 in the MCCAA Eastern Conference.
GAME ONE: Macomb 7, Delta 4 (8 innings)
Trailing 4-3 entering the home half of the eighth inning, Jenna Casey (New Baltimore, Mich./Anchor Bay) kicked off what would be a dramatic sequence of events with a solo home run to left field to knot the game at four runs apiece. Three batters later, Elizabeth Townsend (Ira Twp., Mich./Anchor Bay) put an end to the game with a three-run, walk-off blast that cleared the wall in left center to give the Monarchs a thrilling 7-4 win in extra innings.
Carly Sierzenga (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) elevated her record to 7-1 in the circle after pitching all eight innings and holding Delta to seven hits and two earned runs. The freshman lefty battled all game on her way to striking out six Delta batters while only walking one to pick up win seven in eight attempts this season.
Casey, Townsend, Samantha Scott (Romeo, Mich./Eisenhower) and Rylee Thomas (Harrison Twp., Mich./L'Anse Creuse) all had two hits in the opener, while Skye Norris (Macomb, Mich./Anchor Bay) had one hit and two RBIs to help lift the Monarchs to an important league win.
GAME TWO: Macomb 9, Delta 0 (5 innings)
The Monarchs carried over their momentum from the extra-innings win in game one to earn a 9-0 victory in game two. Jackie Seyfarth (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) got the start and pitched a gem with five complete innings of two-hit ball. The second-year pitcher kept Delta off balance throughout and struck out three batters along the way to earn her third win of the campaign.
Offensively, the Monarchs were led by Danielle Erickson (Sterling Heights, Mich./Sterling Heights) who went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Erickson paced five other Monarchs with hits in Saturday's second game, while Emma Lautenbach (Warren, Mich./Center Line) matched Erickson's RBI total with two of her own.
Erickson's home run, a two-run shot to left center, went down as a walk-off home run as it came in the bottom of the fifth inning and gave the Monarchs a lead good enough to earn the run-rule victory. The home run was Erickson's first of the season and second of her collegiate career.
UP NEXT: at Schoolcraft Friday (April 15)
Ocelots. The first pitch for Friday's conference doubleheader is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.Schoolcraft to play two against the NorthvilleThe Monarchs have a little time off before their next contest. On Friday (April 15), the Monarchs will travel to Ward Church in
