Three Homers by Smith Lead WPU to Pair of 9-1 Victories

Lamoni–Laila Smith (So., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) was a one-woman wrecking crew Friday as the Statesmen softball team swept Graceland in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.

William Penn (25-17, 9-9 Heart) won the opener 9-1 in five innings and took the nightcap by the same 9-1 score (6 innings).

The navy and gold collected two much-needed victories over the Yellowjackets (12-30, 5-13 Heart) as they battle for one of the final spots in the Heart Championship.

The visitors, who posted a 12-4 edge in hits in the opener, jumped out to a 2-0 edge in the top of the first with a two-run double by Chelsey Huff (Sr., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science), plating both Laila Smith and Marin Frazee (So., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science).

After a pair of scoreless frames, Huff made it 3-0 in the fourth as she drove in Frazee on an RBI single.

William Penn then put the game on ice with a six-run fifth inning. Rylee Riesberg (So., Ankeny, Iowa, Exercise Science) doubled home Tori Smith (So., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education), while two runs came in on a GU error, the only defensive mistake of the game for either side.

Laila Smith eventually capped WPU’s scoring as she cleared the fence with a three-run roundtripper. A patient yet potent hitter all day, Smith drew three walks in addition to her home run.

Graceland finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the fifth, but could not extend the contest.

Huff, Riesberg, Tori Smith, and Ella Pierce (Sr., McClelland, Iowa, Business Management) all finished with two hits as eight different Statesmen recorded a base knock. Frazee scored three times as well.

Madie Anderson (Sr., Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Elementary Education) cruised through the GU lineup, striking out 12 against two walks.

The hosts scored once in the first inning of the nightcap and retained that advantage until the top of the fourth when WPU tied it up on a Laila Smith solo shot.

WPU then put on a true power display with another six-run fifth frame. It began with a Frazee double to score Riesberg, while the visitors nearly went back-to-back-to-back with home runs. Laila Smith left the park for a three-run shot, while Huff immediately followed with a solo homer. After an out was recorded, Tori Smith also hit a solo home run to extend the margin to 8-1.

Huff closed out the sweep with a two-run, sixth-inning double that brought in Frazee and Niyah Tyroum (Fr., Tacoma, Wash., Business Management).

William Penn tallied an 11-3 edge in hits with the trio of Frazee, Laila Smith, and Huff all posting two base knocks. Laila Smith drove in four RBIs, scored twice, and walked once, while Huff finished with three RBIs and Frazee managed two runs.

Eight Statesmen once again collected a hit in the second matchup.

Huff earned the victory with eight strikeouts (three walks) in five frames of work. Emily Bryant (Sr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) notched a strikeout as well in one inning of relief.

“It felt really good to put up a ton of runs as we had not been doing that much lately,” Head Coach Laura North said. “This gave us a lot of confidence going into the final stretch of conference play.”

“Laila Smith was unbelievable,” North added. “Graceland was not giving her much to hit, walking her four times, so hitting three home runs when they did throw to her showed what a threat she is.”

Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Saturday to host Grand View in a Heart doubleheader at 1 p.m.