WPU News
Sun, May 3, 2009 - [Softball]
Kara Atkins scored the lone run of the game for Penn on a solo home run in the sixth
Coralville--A promising year came to an abrupt and unfortunate end Friday afternoon as the Penn softball team fell 2-1 to Mount Mercy at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament played at the Creekside Sports Complex.
#21 Penn (40-18), the top seed in the tournament, had a hefty order to fill Friday to claim the tournament title--win three straight games--but it was not to be as the Lady Statesmen finished 0-2 (also fell 5-1 to Waldorf Thursday in 12 innings).
Mount Mercy was eventually eliminated by Waldorf in its next game as Waldorf claimed the tournament crown and will represent the MCC at the NAIA Softball National Championship later this month.
In a great pitcher's duel between arguably the two best freshman pitchers in the league, Penn and Mount Mercy combined for just seven total hits, including three by the Lady Statesmen.
The Mustangs (29-19) got on the board first in the second frame to take a 1-0 lead.
As the game wore on, it became more and more apparent that runs against Mount Mercy's pitcher, Becca Smith, were going to be very hard to come by.
The Lady Statesmen finally poked through in the sixth frame, however, as Kara Atkins (Fr., Burlington, Burlington HS) delivered the shot of the day, a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1 entering the final inning. The home run was the freshman's fourth of the year.
After shutting the Mustangs down in the sixth and then going scoreless themselves in the seventh, the Lady Statesmen seemed to be settling in for an inevitable extra-inning contest. Unfortunately, Brianna Williams and Mount Mercy had other thoughts as Williams sent the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning over the left field fence to win the game 2-1 and end Penn's 2009 campaign.
Atkins led the Lady Statesmen by going 2-3, while Stacie Gaskill (Sr., Lake Mills, Lake Mills HS) had the only other hit for Penn.
Hannah Lugar (Fr., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) threw a very strong game, but still fell in ending her season at 10-6. The freshman allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits. She struck out two without walking a batter.
The loss ends the collegiate careers of four Penn players, including Krystle Carr (Sr., Acton, Calif., Paraclete HS), Allysa Fligg (Sr., Agency, Nebraska-Omaha), Gaskill, and Ashley Johnson (Sr., Burlington, Southeastern CC).
#21 Penn (40-18), the top seed in the tournament, had a hefty order to fill Friday to claim the tournament title--win three straight games--but it was not to be as the Lady Statesmen finished 0-2 (also fell 5-1 to Waldorf Thursday in 12 innings).
Mount Mercy was eventually eliminated by Waldorf in its next game as Waldorf claimed the tournament crown and will represent the MCC at the NAIA Softball National Championship later this month.
In a great pitcher's duel between arguably the two best freshman pitchers in the league, Penn and Mount Mercy combined for just seven total hits, including three by the Lady Statesmen.
The Mustangs (29-19) got on the board first in the second frame to take a 1-0 lead.
As the game wore on, it became more and more apparent that runs against Mount Mercy's pitcher, Becca Smith, were going to be very hard to come by.
The Lady Statesmen finally poked through in the sixth frame, however, as Kara Atkins (Fr., Burlington, Burlington HS) delivered the shot of the day, a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1 entering the final inning. The home run was the freshman's fourth of the year.
After shutting the Mustangs down in the sixth and then going scoreless themselves in the seventh, the Lady Statesmen seemed to be settling in for an inevitable extra-inning contest. Unfortunately, Brianna Williams and Mount Mercy had other thoughts as Williams sent the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning over the left field fence to win the game 2-1 and end Penn's 2009 campaign.
Atkins led the Lady Statesmen by going 2-3, while Stacie Gaskill (Sr., Lake Mills, Lake Mills HS) had the only other hit for Penn.
Hannah Lugar (Fr., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) threw a very strong game, but still fell in ending her season at 10-6. The freshman allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits. She struck out two without walking a batter.
The loss ends the collegiate careers of four Penn players, including Krystle Carr (Sr., Acton, Calif., Paraclete HS), Allysa Fligg (Sr., Agency, Nebraska-Omaha), Gaskill, and Ashley Johnson (Sr., Burlington, Southeastern CC).
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