MASON CITY — The Marshalltown softball team was unable to pull off the four-game sweep of Mason City in a two-day span as the Riverhawks rattled off two wins in Wednesday’s Iowa Alliance Conference North Division rematch.
A night after sweeping Mason City, the Bobcats fell by scores of 5-3 and 8-6. The two teams have alternated in sweeping the last seven doubleheaders against each other.
Eight of Mason City’s 13 runs on the night went unearned to Marshalltown pitchers as the Bobcats (15-20, 4-10) committed seven errors between the two games. MHS outhit the Riverhawks 13-11.
In the opener, Mason City (8-18, 3-9) got off to another fast start with two runs in the first inning, fueled by five walks and three wild pitches.
Marshalltown battled back and eventually took the lead, getting a run in the second and two more in the fifth. Briley Danielson reached on dropped fly ball and scored on Abby Janssen’s single in the second. Faith Sommerlot singled to lead off the fifth, and Gianna Baune followed with a double. Sacrifices by Kendall Brummel and Laney Danielson drove them in as the go-ahead runs.
Mason City answered in the fifth with three runs on one hit and two Bobcat errors.
Briley Danielson took the loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits and seven walks while striking out six. Baune was 2-for-4 with a double and a run to lead the MHS offense, which had just four hits.
In the nightcap, Mason City got five runs in the first inning and maintained its lead the rest of the way. Brogan Evans allwed nine hits and four walks, but all six MHS runs came unearned to the pitcher.
Hanna Osgood got the loss, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out one.
Olivia Wise and Osgood had two hits apiece to lead the Bobcat bats. Ella DeMonte had a pinch-hit, two-run single with two outs in the top of the seventh to bring Marshalltown to within two runs.
MHS closes Alliance North action at home against Waterloo East tonight.