RICHMOND, Ind. – The Earlham College softball team split a conference doubleheader with Mount St. Joseph University on Tuesday afternoon in Ellie Bewley Stadium. 

GAME ONE: EARLHAM 5 MSJ 4

Morgan Cooksey made her return to the circle and earned the win, pitching 6.1 innings with four runs and five strikeouts. Shelby Messer scored her second save of the season with two outs.

Cierra James went 1-3 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Bo Shelton went 1-1 with a walk, a double and two runs scored. 

Shelton reached on a two-out hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the first inning, and scored on a double by Emmerie Stump off the center field wall. Shelby Hill then added to the lead with a two run blast that easily cleared the Maroon Monster in the bottom of the third. 

The Lions plated three runs on three hits in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game. 

Malaya Tanglao led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, and a triple by James scored the first Quaker run of the inning. Macie Ferguson then hit a one-out single to score a fifth run for the Quakers. 

Trailing 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning, the Lions threatened with two hits and a run before Messer shut the door with a pair of flyouts. 

GAME TWO: EARLHAM 3 MSJ 7

Messer started game two in the circle, and threw 3.2 innings with two earned runs and one strikeout. Kamdyn DePew finished with 3.1 innings and one strikeout. 

Ashley Lewis went 2-3 with a double and a run scored. Cailtyn Brooks hit a home run over the Monster, and brought in two RBI. 

After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Lions plated three runs on one hit in the top of the second inning. 

Trailing 7-0, the Quakers saw life in the bottom of the fifth inning after a leadoff single by Lewis. Brooks then hit her first career home run, plating two runs with no outs. Ferguson reached on an error, and came home after a double by Mack Harvey for a three-run Quaker inning. 

The Quakers travel to Hanover College for a doubleheader on Saturday at the Panthers at 1 pm.