Statesmen Swept in Weekend Doubleheaders

Marshall, Mo./Springfield, Mo.--The Statesmen softball team faltered down the stretch over the weekend, losing four times by walk-off hits in Heart of America Athletic Conference action against Missouri Valley and Evangel.

On Saturday, William Penn (11-19, 4-6 Heart) pushed both games to extra frames with Missouri Valley (13-11, 2-2 Heart), falling 10-7 in nine innings and 3-2 in eight innings.  Sunday was unfortunately a repeat of that disappointment as WPU twice fell 4-3 to Evangel (19-8, 6-1 Heart).

Missouri Valley 10, WPU 7

The visitors recorded a weekend-high 12 hits in the game with Allyson Stewart (Sr., Delta, B.C., Nursing) leading the team with three.  Chelsey Huff (So., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) and Nayely Martinez (Jr., Carson, Calif., Business Management) each added two of their own as well.

WPU started out early with Stewart driving in Charley Geguzis (Jr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Business Management).  Unfortunately, a grand slam by the Vikings gave them a 4-1 lead going into the third inning.

The visitors then erupted for their biggest frame of the weekend, scoring six times in the third, beginning with a single from Martinez that plated Huff.  A few batters later, Geguzis tripled with the bases loaded to bring in three runs and put William Penn up 7-4.

The Vikings tied things up in the sixth inning, however, and forced extra innings.  Then in the bottom of the ninth, Missouri Valley won the game with a walk-off three-run home run.

Emily Bryant (Jr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) pitched 5 2/3 innings in the start (four strikeouts), while Ashton Brown (Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) earned the loss.  She was solid in her first two innings, but allowed the winning bomb.

Missouri Valley 3, WPU 2

Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Biology) led the team with three hits, while Huff had two for the navy and gold; overall, the squad was outhit 8-5.

Huff scored Wilson in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, but that would not hold up as the Vikings tallied two runs in the fourth. Hannah Gibson (Jr., Pleasantville, Iowa) then tied the game in the fifth inning by plating Shiloh Cunningham (Sr., Lynnville, Sully, Biology).  Unfortunately, WPU again would go to extra innings and lose by a walk-off in the eighth frame.

Huff went the distance, giving up two runs on eight hits, while tallying five strikeouts.

Evangel 4, WPU 3

William Penn recorded eight hits with Huff and Amber Shotts (Fr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mathematics) both having two.

Shotts started things off for the visitors, singling up the middle to score Geguzis. In the fourth inning, an error allowed Sarah Gallivan (Sr., Round Lake, Ill., Secondary Education) to score, pushing the Statesmen advantage to 2-0. Evangel tied the matchup at 2-2, however, and eventually picked up the win in the eighth inning in yet another walk-off setback for WPU.

Bryant took the loss, permitting two runs on nine scattered hits.  She struck out three as well.

Evangel 4, WPU 3

William Penn recorded 11 hits in the weekend finale, but once again lost on a walk-off hit.  Wilson, Shotts, Martinez, and Kianna Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) all recorded two hits in the contest.

Huff drove in Wilson for the game's first run.  Immediately after that, Shotts traded places with Huff with an RBI double.  The Valor pulled even in the bottom of the first, but the navy and gold went back ahead in the sixth.  Unfortunately, EU scored not only the tying run, but also the winning run in the bottom of the seventh for the nightcap victory.

Huff struck out 10 against two runs on eight base knocks.

Next Up: William Penn travels to Cedar Rapids Friday to face Mount Mercy in a Heart doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.