Sentinel photo by BOB HOCKENBROCK Mount Union’s Autumn Sunderland reaches third base during a softball game against Tussey on Thursday.

MT. UNION — The Mount Union softball team took an early 2-1 lead over the visiting Tussey Mountain Titans on Thursday afternoon in Mount Union. The Trojans would wind up holding off Tussey for a 3-2 victory.

The Titans and Trojans played the game evenly matched throughout the contest with the Trojans adding a run in the fifth inning. The Titans came out in the top of the seventh inning and pounded the ball, scoring a run with base runners in scoring position. The Trojans held on and a throw at third base ended the game with the Trojans claiming the Inter-County Conference East contest.

The Trojans are coming off a win at Northern Bedford making it three wins in a row and they currently stand at 9-7 overall and 4-2 in the ICC East. The Titans slip to 6-9 on the season and 1-6 in the East .

“Both teams played good ball today and both pitchers pitched a good game,” commented Trojans head coach Denny Drake. “There is plenty that we have to work on with a few mistakes today that we should not have made.”

Ke’Andra Wible pitched all seven innings for the Trojans with five hits allowed until the top of the seventh inning when the Titans got three hits to threaten. Wible struck out seven and walked three batters in claiming the win.

Joslyn Raley got the start for the Titans, going six innings with two strikeouts and five walks with seven hits. In absorbing the loss. Allison Angelo came in and worked the sixth inning with just one walk.

The Trojans put the first runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Autumn Sunderland tripled down the right-field line. Maddie Dimoff singled on a hard ground ball to bring Sunderland home. Dimoff moved around on a single and stole third, scoring on a fielder’s choice.

In the top of the fourth inning the Titans made it a one-run game. Olivia Mills got a leadoff single into left field. Mills moved over on a fly ball and scored on a single by Lydia Zdrusky into right field and scored on an error by the Trojans.

The Trojans got that run back in the bottom of the fifth inning . Wible and Patyn Crisswell both singled. Kaylynn Wharton came in to courtesy run for Crisswell. Wharton later scored after the bases were loaded and was walked home to make it 3-1.

In the top of the seventh inning the Titans hit the ball hard to get runners on base. Two hits came off the legs of Wible with hard shots. Elaina Woomer singled with a shot through first base and Adyson Weyandt hit a shot off Wible for a hit. The Trojans got two outs with runners on base and Breanna Goodman singled on a line drive, hitting Wible for a single to put Weyandt on third base, scoring on a passed ball. The Trojans then caught a runner off the base for a tag out and a seal of the game.

“We need to hit better overall,” commented Titan head coach Kevin Reed. “It was a good team effort overall and the team played a good game today. We need to keep this momentum going.”

The Trojans are at West Branch on Monday and the Titans will take on Northern Bedford at home Tuesday in an ICC East matchup.

Mt. Union 3, Tussey Mtn. 2

Tussey Mountain 0-0-1-1-0-0-1–2-8-0

Mount Union 0-2-0-0-1-0-x–3-7-2

TUSSEY MOUNTAIN (2):Weyandt, ss 4-1-2; Angelo, cf, p 2-0-0; Mills, 3b 4-1-1; Goodman, rf 4-0-2; Raley, p 2-0-0; Bottenfield, rf 1-0-1; Zdrusky, dp 3-0-1; Gabrielson, c 3-0-0; Weaver, 1b 3-0-0; Woomer, lf 2-0-1; Lazor f 0-0-0. Totals: 28-2-8.

MOUNT UNION (3):Harris, 3b 4-0-0; R. Yocum, ss 3-0-0; Wible, p 4-0-2; Crisswell, c 2-1-1; Trego, cf 2-0-1; Sunderland, dp 2-1-1; Dimoff, 1b 1-1-1; Glover, 2b 3-0-1; B. Yocum rf 3-0-0; Benson lf, 0-0-0. Totals: 24-3-7.

3B: Sunderland.

E: Glover, Dimoff.

Pitching

IP: Raley 5, Angelo 1; Wible 7.

SO: Raley 2; Wible 7.

BB: Raley 5, Angelo 1; Wible 3.

H: Raley 7; Wible 8.

WP: Wible; LP: Raley.

RBI: Harris, Dimoff 2.