MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- The Mighty Mac softball team (6-0) is on fire to start the 2019 season as they won their fifth and sixth consecutive games today with a 3-2 win over Medaille and a 9-7 victory over Salem State.
 
The Macs played a clean game in the first and scored two late runs to take the lead and make a winner of junior Michaela Petito, who tossed a complete game.  In game two, IU broke out offensively with eight runs in the first four innings, anchored by three-hit performance from freshman Katy Newton and sophomore Keani Hindle.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME 1
-The pitchers for each of the teams started out the game well, working around a couple hits, until the bottom of the third when the Macs again struck first
-Junior Sydney Sturgill singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before freshman Cat Knoll brought her home with a single to put the Macs in front
-In the top of the fourth, Medaille got on the board themselves with a two-out double followed by a two run home run as IU trailed 2-1 through four innings
-In the bottom of the fifth, Petito tripled to lead off the inning but was stranded as the game headed to the sixth with Medaille still leading, 2-1
-After Petito retired the side in order in the top of the sixth, the Macs re-took the lead with a pair of runs.  Junior Abigail Carter single and stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before junior Ashley Rey stroked a game-tying triple to the left-center gap.  Sophomore Keani Hindle followed with an RBI infield single to put the Macs on top, 3-2
-Petito retired the first two hitters before a two-out single, but a strikeout ended IU's fifth straight victory
 
IU AT THE PLATE
-Carter: 2-3, R, SB
-Rey: 1-3, R, 3B, RBI
-Sturgill: 1-2, R
 
MACS IN THE CIRCLE
-Petito (W, 2-0): 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 5 K
 
GAME 2
-The Mighty Macs fell into an early hole as Salem State put up two runs in the top of the first, but the Macs wasted no time taking a lead they wouldn't relinquish
-Newton singled with one out and following a walk by Rey, Hindle hit a two-run triple before she scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Emily Mesey to put IU out front, 3-2
-Bormann quickly settled down and retired six of the next seven hitters
-In the bottom of the third, the Macs extended their advantage on a two-run single up the middle by Petito to score Mesey and Hindle and put IU up, 5-2
-Bormann worked around a two-out double in the fourth, and the Macs went back to work again in the bottom of the inning.  Newtown scored Bormann with a single and Hindle had her third straight at bat with an extra base hit as she doubled to score two more and push the lead to 8-2
-The teams traded runs in the fifth, with freshman Cat Knoll bringing home Petito with an RBI groundout to get through five with IU in front, 9-3
-Sophomore Renee DeAngelis came on in the sixth and retired the side in order, but in the seventh, Salem State rallied and scored four runs.  They brought the tying run to the plate with two outs, but DeAngelis induced a groundout to end the game
 
IU AT THE PLATE
-Newton: 3-4, 2 R, RBI
-Hindle: 3-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 3B
-Petito: 2-3, R, 2 RBI
 
MACS IN THE CIRCLE
-Bormann (W, 2-0): 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, K
-DeAngelis: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R
 
UP NEXT
The Macs will close their trip tomorrow against Iowa Wesleyan at 9:30 and Morrisville State at 11:30.