QUICK HITS

• Result: MBU 6-5 Silver Lake, MBU 6-12 Silver Lake
• Venue: Brandt-Quirk Park, Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 29, 64
• Record: Maranatha is now 1-15

THE LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. – The sun came out in more ways than one for the Sabercats this afternoon, as they earned their first win of the season in a tight series with Silver Lake College.

Both teams earned their first win of the season on the day, and Harmony Bailey and Tina Kolinski both reached some impressive statistical milestones to boot.

THE STORY

Silver Lake looked threatening in their first at-bat, as a double from Hannah Severin was part of a two-run frame that got the ball rolling for the visitors. With a bases-loaded, one-out situation, the Sabercats avoided further damage when Bailey fanned two consecutive batters to get out of the inning.

Bailey then doubled to right-center in the bottom of the inning, but she was stranded in scoring position.

Silver Lake increased their lead to 3-0 when a couple of Sabercat errors gave them some assistance. Severin got the RBI this time up.

The comeback started in the bottom of the second inning for MBU. Kylee Zempel was beaned, then advanced to second off a sacrifice bunt from Joylynn Molencupp. Then a neat single down the right-field line from Maisy Alldredge pushed Zempel across the plate for the Sabercats only run of the inning. 3-1 Lakers.

The Sabercats tied the game up in the bottom of the third. Kolinski's speed and heads-up baserunning gave the Sabercats their second run of the game, then an RBI single from Bailey plated Megan Rasmussen. Tie ballgame.

Thanks to the momentum shift and two shutout innings from Bailey, the Sabercats set themselves up to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. A single from Katie Bender brought Molencupp home, then Rasmussen's single brought home Kolinski. Just like that, the Sabercats had posted five runs in three innings. 5-3 Sabercats.

After the Lakers came back with one run in the top of the fifth, the Sabercats restored the two-run lead. It was a strange play, as Maisy Alldredge's looped hit towards first base was called an infield fly. As the ball landed and kicked towards right field, Taylor Thome saw her chance and made it across home plate to make it 6-4 MBU.

It was then that Silver Lake made the Sabercats sweat. After two quick outs, the Lakers scored a run and had the bases loaded to pile the pressure on Bailey and the Sabercats. Up stepped none other than Severin, who took a hard cut at her pitch. It was struck well, but it went right towards Thome. The rookie proved her worth at the shortstop position, as she snagged the hard-hit liner to seal the first win of the season for Maranatha.

For the cherry on top, Bailey earned her 100th career strikeout in the win.

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Silver Lake utilized two, four-run innings to score a dozen runs on MBU in the second game to take their first win of the season back to Manitowoc. Tasha Rabe whacked a two-RBI double in the first inning to start the second game for Silver Lake just like they started the first. Back-to-back RBI from Bailey and Thome quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning. 2-2 after one.

Another highlight moment came in the first frame, when the familiar sight of Kolinski stealing second base happened again. This was the senior's 50th career steal.

Silver Lake went up 8-2 in the fourth, which really seemed to take the wind out of the sails for MBU. Thome recorded her second RBI of the game in the fifth, but Silver Lake did their terminal damage in the sixth by scoring another four runs to bring their total to 12.

Bender, Thome, and Kolinski - who had an RBI double - all recorded RBI through the last two frames, but the Sabercats couldn't undo the damage caused by Silver Lake in the previous innings. The Lakers won the second game, 12-6, and after a long night of softball at Brandt-Quirk Park, the Sabercats and the Lakers had both earned their first win of the season in the series split.

THE STATS

Kolinski moved to third all-time in the stolen base category at MBU. She passed Emily Thompson's mark of 49 steals in doing so.

Bailey's 100th career strikeout also moves her into third all-time at MBU. She joins Rachel Ryan and Autumn Byers as the only pitchers to reach 100 strikeouts.

Bailey went 3-7 with a double and two RBI on the day.

Thome also went 3-7 and had three RBI.

Kolinski led the Sabercats with four hits and had three runs, a double, and an RBI.

Rasmussen recorded three hits as well and scored three runs.

Brooklynn Jarrell led the Lakers with four hits on the day.

THE SOUND BITE

"We're excited for the girls to get their first win of the season with Harmony in the circle," said Coach Rob Thompson after the game. "It was just great for the girls to be outside and playing games. There are a lot of situations that we can't replicate in the gym, and we're looking forward to playing at home again tomorrow to conclude our home season. We're so thankful for the girls the Lord has given us on this team, and we're thankful for their attitudes and ability to work hard until the end of the game."

MORE ON SILVER LAKE

• The Lakers are members of the NAIA.
• This was the Lakers' first win of the season.

THE CALENDAR

The Sabercats will stay at home tomorrow to conclude their six-game homestand with Mount Mary in a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Follow stats live at mbusabercats.com/composite.