May 14th 2026 On a chilly and windy spring evening, the Hamilton Marines varsity softball team came out swinging Wednesday night against the Angola Hornets JV squad, jumping out to an early lead before eventually falling 10-8 in a back-and-forth contest. The Lady Marines wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Senior Marissa Mercer opened the game with a bunt single, setting the tone offensively for Hamilton. Three straight walks followed, helping bring home two runs on passed balls. Another run crossed the plate after an error by the pitcher, and back-to-back singles from Karly Nester and Brenna Mercer plated another run to give Hamilton a quick 4-0 advantage. Hamilton continued to pressure the Hornets in the second inning, adding two more runs. Marissa Mercer scored on a passed ball while Tsumiya Sato crossed the plate on a ground out, extending the Marine lead to 6-0. Angola answered in the bottom of the second inning with two runs to cut the lead to 6-2. The Hornets continued to chip away in the third, scoring three more runs to make it a one-run game at 6-5. Angola tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning at 6-6. The Lady Marines briefly regained momentum in the fifth inning after stringing together three straight singles, scoring two runs to retake the lead. However, the Hornets responded in the bottom of the sixth inning with four runs of their own to pull ahead 10-8, which would hold as the final score. Offensively, Hamilton was led by Marissa Mercer who went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Tsumiya Sato reached base four times with three walks and scored twice. Haley Ellert finished 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored, while Tristen Creager went 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI, and two runs scored. Karly Nester added a strong 2-for-4 performance with a run scored. Skye Allen went 1-for-4, Brenna Mercer was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Gracie Myers added an RBI for the Marines. On the bases, Tristen Creager swiped two stolen bases while Haley Ellert, Skye Allen, and Tsumiya Sato each recorded one steal. Inside the circle, Marissa Mercer pitched all six innings for Hamilton and recorded five strikeouts. The Lady Marines are back in action Friday night as they travel to Hoosier Plains Conference opponent Elkhart Christian Academy for a 5:30pm first pitch. Hamilton will then host the Eagles again on Saturday morning at 11:00am for Senior Day. Thursday night Marine athletics action features the 5th-8th grade co-ed golf team competing in its final match of the season at Heron Creek beginning at 4:30pm.