GAME 1

The Short Story:  Holy Cross came back twice in the game one of the doubleheader as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team fell 6-4 to the visiting Crusaders on Monday afternoon at the Henry S. Parker Complex in Salisbury 

THE GAME FACTS
Score: Holy Cross 6, UMES 4
Location: Salisbury, Md.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hawks got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the first. With the bases loaded, Ryan Merriwether smacked a single up the middle scoring Nola Mountain from third. Next up, Mackenzie Abiley hit a deep ball to centerfield on a sacrifice fly that scored Kelsie Ekstrom from third, giving UMES the 2-0 lead. 
• After the Crusaders scored one in the top the second, Mountain used a sacrifice bunt to advanced the runners, in which Morea Hodge scored on, putting the Hawks ahead 3-1.
• Holy Cross tied the game up with a pair of runs in the fourth before UMES scored one in the bottom of the fifth on an Ameenah Ballenger RBI single that scored Mountain, putting the home team back ahead 4-3.
• The Crusader would then score three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead and after a scoreless bottom of sixth and seventh innings, the Holy Cross picked up the the 6-4 win.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Mountain led the Hawks going 2-for-3 at the plate with two singles, two runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base.
• Merriwether also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of singles and an RBI.
• Kylee Lehman took the loss pitching all seven innings while walking three and striking out two.

GAME 2

The Short Story:  Hits were hard to come by for the UMES softball team in game two of their doubleheader with Holy Cross as the Crusaders would hold the Hawks to just three hits while getting nine of their own in a 5-1 win for the visitors

THE GAME FACTS
Score: Holy Cross, UMES 1
Location: Salisbury, Md.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After scoring a run in the top of the second, the Crusaders added two more, including the game-winning run, in the top of third off a two-run home run to left center to take a 3-0.
• In the bottom of the fifth, the Hawks would get on the board off a Paige Perkins sacrifice fly to right field that scored Merriwether to cut into the Holy Cross lead, 3-1.
• A two-RBI double in the top of the sixth by the Crusaders saw the visitors extend their lead to what would be the final score, 5-1.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The three hits by the Hawks tied the fewest in a game this season with the first game against Saint Peters on February 22.
• The triple in the game by Merriwether was the first one hit by UMES since February 17 when the Hawks hit three against Alabama A&M
• Ballenger took the loss in the circle, but struck out seven while walking only two.

UP NEXT

• The Hawks will be back on the road this weekend when they travel to the North Alabama Tournament. UMES will take on UNA (twice), Detroit Mercy, Samford, and Southern Mississippi. 
• The first game will be against the host Lions on Friday, March 8 at 1:30 CT (2:30 ET).