First Win of the Year for Softball
Kissimmee, Fla. — Statesmen softball trucked down to Florida for their annual spring break trip. Plenty of teams arrived around the Fortune Road Athletic Complex and William Penn started their 10-game slate with their first two victories of the season. They took down Lourdes (Ohio) 5-0 and after a schedule change, Lindenwodd-Belleville 7-3. WPU improves to 2-9 on the season.
The sun shone on Statesmen softball on Sunday, as everything finally fell into place. Lourdes had their first two games of the year canceled, and thus entered 0-1 after a loss to Florida National. With almost 1,300 miles in the travel log, the WPU team got off the bus ready to play. Peyton Parker (Jr., LaPorte City, Iowa, Sports Management) entered 0-4 but set the tone in the top of the first as she set the Grey Wolves down in order.
The bats got to work right away as Avery Rayos (Jr., Henderson, Nev., Biology) got a base hit on the first ball she saw. Moved on a sac-bunt, she would score on a Kiya Harper (Sr., Decatur, Ill., Exercise Science) single. Lexi Riccardi (Sr., Redwood City, Calif., Biology) then clubbed her first home run of the year to make it 3-0. Abby Young (Sr., Dunlap, Ill., Exercise Science) would then reach base and eventually score courtesy of errors by Lourdes to make it 4-0.
Parker continued her gem over the next couple of frames, not allowing a hit. The Statesmen did load the bases in the bottom of the second but the designated home team could not bring anyone home.
The bottom of the fourth saw the last run of the game scored. Rayos got another single with one out and Valeria Quiroga (Fr., San Benito, Texas, Sociology) took a walk to put two on. Harper picked up another RBI by hitting a double but Quiroga would get thrown out at the plate. 5-0 though was more than enough for Parker.
Going the distance, Parker allowed only three hits in her seven innings of work. She also fanned one batter and walked two. With some crafty pitching and a strong defense behind her, Parker picked up her first win of the year. Rayos and Harper paced the squad with two hits each and both Harper and Riccardi picked up two RBIs.
“Our defense improved and we got a couple timely hits,” said head coach Mike Christner. “We will continue to work and improve.”
Next Up: Two more games on the docket tomorrow as the Statesmen will face University of Michigan-Dearborn at 3:45 p.m. and Missouri Baptist at 6 p.m. (CST).
