MEMPHIS – Maryville settled for three wins in four tries during its West Tennessee jaunt, dropping an 11-3 decision to Webster before coming back to take a 2-0 shutout against host Rhodes.
Megan Ackerman pitched a five-hit complete game in that second contest, raising her record to 3-1 on the young season. She struck out four and did not issue a walk. The lefty lowered her ERA to 1.12.
"We are going to take the lessons we learned here this weekend and move forward," Scots head coach
Jill Moore said. "We have some injuries, we have kids who were sick, but that's why our team is made up of 21. We needed each and every one of them to get through this preseason weekend and we had people step up into roles they haven't been in for quite a few years.
"I'm really proud of how we bounced back in the second game."
The only runs of the second game crossed in the Maryville half of the fourth.
Courtney Baine led off with her first Maryville home run for a 1-0 lead.
Paige Dickinson singled and then moved to third on a couple of Lynx errors.
Bailey Myers drove Dickinson home with a sacrifice fly.
Ackerman faced just two batters over the minimum during her final four frames.
"Megan came out ready to go after we put ourselves in a tough spot the game before," Moore said. "She came out and was a leader for us in the circle."
Fast Start for Scots Doesn't Hold
In Game 1, Maryville grabbed an early 3-0 lead.
Cierra Hudson had a bases-loaded walk and Myers a sacrifice fly in the first, and then Baine doubled home
Brecca Williams in the second.
Webster got one run back in the second and then tied it 3-3 in the fourth. The Gorlocks broke loose for eight runs in the fifth to end the game via the run rule.
Williams had a pair of hits and two runs scored for the Scots.
Ryleigh Maples and
Paige Dickinson were both 1-for-2 in addition to Baine's RBI-double.
Mikayla Hoschak took the loss for the Scots, who are now 5-3 and heading home for a big weekend of softball.
Maryville welcomes Emory and Wittenberg for games both Saturday and Sunday as part of the Maryville College Classic. The Scots then host Austin as part of an eight-game home stand. Emory opens its season Monday at home against Cal Lutheran, while Wittenberg begins its 2024 season in Maryville.
"We can't wait to be home," Moore said. "We are excited to play our home opener."
