TAYLOR – Macomb Softball extended its winning streak to five games in a Saturday (March 29) doubleheader sweep over the host Hawks of Henry Ford College. The Monarchs defeated the Hawks in game one, 7-4, before posting a 30-0 win in Saturday's latter contest to set new program records for runs scored (30) and margin of victory (30 runs).
The previous program records for runs scored and margin of victory were also set in the same game on March 6, 2022, in a 24-0 win over Williston State College.
With two more wins Saturday, the Monarchs improved to 8-10 overall and 5-3 in MCCAA Eastern Conference play. Impressively, the Monarchs were able to record 37 unanswered runs on Saturday across both games after trailing 4-0 early in the opener.
GAME ONE: Macomb 7, Henry Ford 4
The Monarchs trailed 4-0 through five innings before the bats came alive with a five-run sixth inning. The five-run sixth was all the Monarchs would need in the opener, but the Blue & White tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh to land on the eventual 7-4 final.
Paige Muehlbrandt and
Madalyn Roberson led the charge with two doubles each while
Raegan Hemelberg hit one of her own as part of an 11-hit game one effort for the Monarchs. Muehlbrandt drove in a game-high four runs on a 3-for-4 performance, while
Alexa Garofalo also went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Roberson finished 2-for-3 with two RBI on her two doubles.
Grace Dzikowski got the start and struck out six before giving way to
Angelina Viviano who came on to earn the win after tossing three innings of two-hit, scoreless ball.
GAME TWO: Macomb 30, Henry Ford 0 (5 Inn.)
Records were broken in Saturday's latter contest as the Monarchs erupted for a program record 30 runs in a 30-0 victory in five innings. The 30-run margin of victory was also a new program best.
Madalyn Roberson got the game two nod in the circle and held the Hawks to two hits across four scoreless innings of work. Roberson struck out two and also drove in a run as part of the team's offensive outburst.
Alexa Garofalo and
Paige Muehlbrandt picked up where they left off in game one with five RBI each in game two. Garofalo went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored, while Muehlbrandt connected on home run No. 3 of the season as part of a 4-for-5 effort with four runs scored.
Aubrey Rich hit a pair of doubles in game two while going 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored and
Riley McLaughlin also went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs driven in and two runs scored.
Raegan Hemelberg (2-2, 2B, 3 RBI, 4 R),
Rylee Lozen (2-3, RBI, 3 R) and
Allison Wineski (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R) rounded out a strong cast of Monarchs with multi-hit games in the 30-run explosion.
Grace Dzikowski and
Alexa Yaklin each connected on a double in their lone plate appearance to close out a grand total of nine extra-base hits for the Monarchs in game two.
UP NEXT: Resuming play at SC4 Thursday
The Monarchs will resume their suspended doubleheader at Marysville City Park against the SC4 Skippers on Thursday (April 3) beginning at 4 p.m.