LECOMPTE, La. - After a doubleheader sweep over LSU-Alexandria to start the 2023 season, the University of Mobile Softball team, who begins the season ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, returned to action one day later on Feb. 10 with two more non-conference games, facing the University of Houston-Victoria and No. 8 Central Methodist University in the LSU-A Softball Tournament. Mobile opened the day with a 3-0 upset loss to Houston-Victoria, but followed with a 5-3 win in a NAIA Softball Top 10 showdown against Central Methodist.
After opening weekend to the 2023 campaign, the Rams are 3-1 to start the year.
Game One Recap: Houston-Victoria 3, (2) Mobile 0
The Jaguars of Houston-Victoria shocked numerous NAIA Softball fans on Friday morning, knocking off the second-ranked Rams of Mobile. UHV managed a shutout win over Mobile on Friday, holding the Rams to just four hits in the game. Meanwhile, the Jaguars set the tone of the game with two early runs in the first inning, later adding their third run in the fourth. UHV tallied six hits in the upset performance.
Caitlin McRee and Tempest Hebert led Mobile with two hits a piece in the defeat, while Brinkley Goff got the start in the pitcher's circle. Goff finished with four innings of work, allowing two earned runs and giving up five hits. She added three strikeouts and one walk. Avery Harrell later relieved Goff in the circle through the final two innings, allowing just one hit and tallying two hits and two walks from out of the bullpen.
Game Two Recap: (2) Mobile 5, (8) Central Methodist 3
Coming off the first loss of the season, Mobile looked to bounce back in the second game of the afternoon, facing off with No. 8 Central Methodist. The Rams quickly got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning following a RBI double by Caitlin McRee. McRee's double scored leadoff batter in the lineup Kayla Moran after Moran worked a walk to start the game. However, a half inning later, the Eagles evened things up with a run of their own in the bottom half of the first.
Tied 1-1, Central Methodist claimed their first lead of the game with a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Now down 3-1 with time beginning to run out for the Rams, Mobile Head Coach Alison Sellers-Cook went to her bench in the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded, sending newcomer Jill Robinson to the plate as a pinch hitter. On the first pitch she saw, Robinson blasted a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the sixth, giving Mobile the 5-3 lead late. From there, Mobile starting pitcher Emily Butts closed out the game with a complete-game performance.
The Rams out-hit the Eagles 11-5, with Caitlin McRee finishing 3-for-3 in the afternoon's second game. McRee ended the day with a 5-for-6 line at the plate across two games. Catcher Madilyn Sheffield tallied two hits in the victory over Central Methodist, while Jill Robinson's pinch-hit grand slam proved to be the most important hit of the game. Emily Butts allowed the five CMU hits, striking out one batter. She improves to 2-0 from the circle on the young season.
Opening Week Recap
After four non-conference games on the road to begin the year, UM Softball will take a couple of weeks off before returning to action by competing in the Southeastern Softball Tournament in Orlando, Fla. Mobile will play six total games against three SUN Conference opponents in the tournament on Feb. 21-23.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
