KISSIMMEE, Fla. – For the first time on its Spring Break Trip, the University of Michigan-Dearborn softball team swept two games in one day, pushing its win streak to three at THE Spring Games Monday in Kissimmee.
The Wolverines rallied on the strength of a late home run from Madelin Skene in Monday's opener to defeat William Penn University 2-1, while outlasting Carlow University in a back-and-forth contest for a 7-5 win in the day's second game.
The wins push UM-Dearborn to 11-12 overall this season.
Against WPU, the Wolverines were held without a hit until Amber Cheplick came through with a double in the fifth inning. Cheplick was driven home by Caitlyn Mauser on an RBI single later in the inning to tie the score at 1-1. In the sixth, Skene, the reigning Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Week, hit her eighth home run of the season to give UM-Dearborn the lead for good.
Erin McCune picked up her fifth win of the season, tossing a complete game on the mound, allowing one run on seven hits, while striking out three in seven innings for UM-Dearborn.
In the matchup with Carlow, the Wolverines fell behind 3-0 after the first, but answered with RBIs from Melissa Charbonneau and Liz Grumeretz in the second, while Aspen Starr drove home a run in the third to tie the score.
Grumeretz hit her first-career home run in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 4-4, while Skene blasted her second of the day to give UM-Dearborn a one-run lead later in the inning. After Carlow tied it again with a run in the bottom of the fourth, UM-Dearborn went up for good in the sixth when two runs scored on a Celtic error.
Skene earned the win on the mound in relief, pitching four innings, allowing one run on two hits, striking out four. The Hartland, Mich., native entered play on Monday second in the NAIA in home runs prior to hitting two more.
The Wolverines continue play in Florida with two more on Tuesday. UM-Dearborn opens the day against Fisher College at 10:15 am before taking on No. 22 Saint Xavier University at 1:15 pm.
