Lady Cougars Keep Season Alive with Win over Maple Leafs  

UPLAND, Ind. — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University softball team (27-19, 19-17 CL) competed in the first day of the Crossroads League Softball Tournament against Goshen College (18-28, 14-22 CL), hosted by Taylor University on Tuesday, April 29.  

MVNU entered the elimination game as the sixth seed against the seventh-seeded Maple Leafs.  

Goshen struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but the Lady Cougars responded in the bottom of the third. Kylie Rohr got things started with a single to center, followed by a single from Skylar Zimmerman. With two runners on and two outs, Dakota Staffan stepped up and launched a deep shot to left field, putting MVNU ahead 3-2. Goshen answered in the top of the fourth, tying the game at 3-3.  

With the Lady Cougars in the middle of their lineup, Kiera Mayer broke the tie in the fourth inning with a solo home run to center. The home run was the 24^th of Mayer’s career, matching the all-time program record. The Lady Cougars’ fourth inning momentum continued as Zimmerman ripped a double to right field, driving in Rohr and Jesenia Montalvo. With a runner on second, Staffan crushed her second home run of the game to center, extending the MVNU lead to 8-3. 

The Lady Cougars held strong through the final innings and sealed the win in the top of the seventh, advancing past the Maple Leafs and moving into the double-elimination tournament bracket. 

Nadia Hoffman made her 17^th appearance in the circle, allowing just five hits and two earned runs while striking out three batters. 

What’s Next: 

The Lady Cougars will take on the University of Saint Francis in Upland, Indiana on Wednesday, April 30. First pitch is set for 10:00 a.m.