The University of Mary Washington softball team swept a doubleheader from Messiah College on Saturday afternoon at the Battleground in both teams' season openers. The Eagles won game one, 6-3, before winning game two, 10-2, in five innings.
In the opener, Messiah scored first with a run in the second, before the Eagles knotted the game with an RBI triple from freshman Grace Drury. UMW took the lead in the third on an RBI single from Megan Hibbs, before Messiah scored twice in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.
UMW's offense came up with four runs in the sixth to pull ahead for good. Logan Gibson provided an RBI single to start the scoring, and was followed by an RBI groundout from Rachel Remer. Danielle Newman followed with a two-run single to give the Eagles their final 6-3 margin of victory.
Newman, Rachel Porchie, and Hannah Bruns each had two hits to lead the offense, while Hibbs tossed seven innings of four-hit ball, allowing one earned run with three strikeouts.
In the nightcap, Messiah scored twice in the third to take the lead, but UMW answered with four in the bottom of the frame. Newman hit a bases-loaded single to start the scoring, and Porchie followed with ann RBI walk before Hibbs scored two with a double.
In the fifth, UMW scored six runs, Porchie and Hibbs singled, and both came around to score on a double from Caroline Bird. Maggie Mrowka scored on an error and Bird scored the ending run on a groundout.
Hibbs led UMW with a single, double, two runs scored and two RBI, while Bird drove in two with her double. Hadlea Valera gained the win for UMW, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts.
The Eagles will be back in action on Sunday when they visit Bridgewater College at 12:00 for another doubleheader.