QUINCY, Ill. – Maryville University softball picked up two road conference wins over Quincy University on Sunday afternoon. The Saints pulled out a 4-3 win over the Hawks in game one before winning 9-6 in 11 innings in game two.
 
Game One Recap
Quincy started the game by setting down the Saints 1-2-3 in the top of the first and followed up with a two-run home run to center field in the bottom half. They kept Maryville scoreless until the third.
 
Emily Corona tripled to lead off the top of the third frame and came in to score on Erin Sammelmann's RBI single to right field. Melanie Nelson reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, but the Hawks worked out of the jam with the lead intact.
 
Emersen Heron settled in and held the home team at two in the bottom of the third and doubled to lead off the top of the fourth. Taylor Duff drove her in with a double to tie the game and came in to score on Mandi Lenon's RBI single to right field to take a 3-2 lead.
 
A lead-off home run in the bottom half tied the game at three, but the Saints retaliated in the fifth. Nelson singled, stole second, and advanced to third on the play. Taylor Shingler then came through with a clutch RBI ground out to give her team a 4-3 lead.
 
Heron took it from there on the rubber, retiring the side in order in the fifth, working out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth, and finishing off Quincy with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. The sophomore earned her eighth win of 2023 with three earned runs, two strikeouts, and six hits allowed over seven innings of work.
 
Winning Pitcher: Emersen Heron (8-4)
Losing Pitcher: Jayle Jennings (6-5)
  
Batting Leaders
Mandi Lenon: 2-for-3, RBI
Taylor Duff: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
Emily Corona: 2-for-3, 3B, R, SB
 
Game Two Recap
Lexi Touchette got Maryville started in the second inning of game two with a two-run home run that plated Heron. The lead was pushed to three in the next inning when Nelson scored on an error on Kylie Swinney's bunt single.
 
Quincy added two in the fourth to pull within one at 3-2. The score remained the same until the top of the seventh when Nelson singled, stole second, and came home on a sacrifice fly from Swinney. The Hawks posted two in the top of the seventh to tie the game at four to send the game into extra innings.
 
Chayse Ramey pitched well into extra innings, ending her start with 8.1 innings, 130 pitches, three strikeouts, and four earned allowed. Heron took over for her in the ninth after a one-out double from the Hawks. Heron got the next two batters out to work out of the jam.
 
The Saints were set down in order in the top of the 10^th, and a pair of singles from Quincy in the bottom half put runners on first and second with one out. Maryville got a ground ball to force out the runner at third for the second out and another fielder's choice at second base for out number three.
 
In the 11^th, Nelson singled to start the inning and stole second base to apply pressure. Sammelmann singled her to third and stole second herself to put runners on second and third with no outs. Two hitters later, Corona singled to center field to give the Saints a 5-4 lead. After another stolen base, Heron stepped up with two runners in scoring position and hammered a three-run home run to open up an 8-4 lead. Duff followed up with a walk and came in to score on Touchette's RBI double down the left-field line.
 
Quincy got a pair of runs in the bottom of the 11^th but was unable to overcome the Saints' offensive outburst in the top half. Heron picked up her ninth win of the season and second on the day to push Maryville's Great Lakes Valley Conference record to 5-1 to begin the year.
 
Winning Pitcher: Emersen Heron (9-4)
Losing Pitcher: Savannah Billings (0-1)
  
Batting Leaders
Lexi Touchette: 2-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI
Emersen Heron: 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
Erin Sammelmann: 3-for-6, R, BB, SB

Records:
Maryville: 17-11, 5-1 GLVC
Quincy: 12-14, 4-4 GLVC

What's Next?
The Saints are back home on Saturday, April 1, for a GLVC doubleheader against Rockhurst University. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.