MARYSVILLE, Mich. – Balls were crushed and cars were dented (two to be exact) as Macomb Softball made the most of their time under the bright lights of the ESPN+ broadcast to post a 12-2 win in game one and a 21-1 victory in the nightcap to sweep Friday's twin bill in Marysville. The Monarchs outscored the host SC4 Skippers by a grand total of 33-3 in Friday's double dip and did so behind seven home runs, 19 extra-base hits and shut down pitching.

The 21 runs scored in game two ties for the third most in program history and the 20-run margin of victory also ties for third best in program history.

GAME ONE: Macomb 12, SC4 2 (5 inn.)
The Monarchs jumped on top 4-0 early behind three first inning home runs as Danielle Erickson (Sterling Heights, Mich./Sterling Heights) opened the broadcast with a leadoff home run – her first of the season – to give the Blue & White a 1-0 lead. Elizabeth Townsend (New Baltimore, Mich./Anchor Bay) followed with a massive shot that was every bit of 270 feet two batters later to extend the lead to 2-0 and Samantha Scott (Romeo, Mich./Eisenhower) hit a two-run, opposite field blast off a vehicle beyond the wall in right field to give the Blue & White the early four-run edge.

The four-run first was followed by two runs in the second, two in the third and four more in the fifth inning as the Monarchs earned the 12-2 run-rule victory in five innings. Erickson remained hot with another home run in the second as the sophomore outfielder recorded homers in back-to-back innings to open Friday's twin bill. Katelyn Thomas (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) was the fourth Monarch to hit a home run in the opening game as the first-year infielder hit a two-run shot to left to give the Blue & White an 8-0 lead through three innings of play.

Allison Vogt (Chesterfield, Mich./Anchor Bay) earned her conference-leading 10^th win of the season after working all five innings. Vogt struck out six Skippers and held the hosts scoreless until the fifth inning in the 12-2 victory.

Aside from the home run hitters, the Monarch were also led at the plate by Brynn Beyer (Macomb, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North), Savanna Clark (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) and Haley Mitchell (Memphis, Mich./Memphis). The trio of freshmen joined the extra-base hit parade as Beyer and Mitchell recorded a double and Clark hit a triple in the run-rule win.

GAME TWO: Macomb 21, SC4 1 (5 inn.)
Carly Sierzenga (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) took care of business in the circle to the tune of eight strikeouts across four impressive innings and the offense erupted for 21 runs on 20 hits in a 21-1 game two triumph. Sierzenga earned the win in the nightcap – her third of the campaign – and the Monarchs hit two more home runs, one off the bat of Elizabeth Townsend and the other by Alexis Murray (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley).

Townsend's blast, her second of the day and program-record 23^rd of her career, was sent well over the monster in center field and landed on a vehicle approximately 240 feet from home plate. Murray stepped to the plate later in game two and cleared the monster on a two-run shot for her first home run at the collegiate level.

As part of a 21-run performance on 20 hits, the Monarchs recorded 19 RBIs, five each off the bats of Townsend and Samantha Scott. Danielle Erickson continued a red-hot stretch of softball with a 4-for-5 game two that included four runs scored and a pair of RBIs, while Rylee Thomas (Harrison Twp., Mich./L'Anse Creuse) went 3-for-4 with a double. Erickson hit two doubles in Friday's latter contest and was joined by the aforementioned Rylee Thomas, as well as Katelyn Thomas, Brynn Beyer, Carleigh Bilpo (Sterling Heights, Mich./Henry Ford II) and Savanna Clark as Monarchs to hit two baggers in game two.