Smith Sisters Lead WPU to Doubleheader Sweep Over Graceland
Oskaloosa– William Penn returned home to Oskaloosa on Saturday to host Graceland in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader. The Statesmen swept the Yellowjackets, winning game one 3–0 and following it up with a 5–2 victory in game two.
WPU 3, GU 0
In the bottom of the third inning, Laila Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) delivered an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Marin Frazee (Jr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) to tag up from third and give the Statesmen their first run.
Laila Smith came through again for the navy and gold in the bottom of the fifth, hitting a double down the right-field line that brought home Laila Gutierrez (Jr., Seminole, Texas, Business Management) to stretch the Statesmen’s lead to 2–0.
Leah Conlon (Fr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) added another run in the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle, sending Maci Rutledge (So., Chadron, Neb., Nursing) home to put the Statesmen ahead 3–0.
Tori Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) controlled the game from the circle, throwing a complete-game shutout with six strikeouts to lead the Statesmen to a 3–0 victory in game one.
WPU 5, GU 2
Graceland struck first in game two, scoring a run in the top of the first to take a 1–0 lead.
Laila Gutierrez responded for the Statesmen in the bottom of the first, scoring on an errant throw from the Yellowjacket catcher to even the game at 1–1.
The back-and-forth continued in the top of the second, as Graceland scored to reclaim a one-run lead.
WPU tied the game at 2–2 in the bottom of the third, as Tori Smith singled up the middle, sending Maci Rutledge home.
William Penn opened up the game in the bottom of the sixth. Mckenna Vasser (Fr., Rochester, Wash., Business Management) got the rally started with an RBI single to left field, scoring Kya Butler (Sr., Newton, Iowa, Sports Management).
Laila Gutierrez followed with an RBI groundout to shortstop, as Marin Frazee used her speed to score from second.
Laila Smith capped the sixth-inning surge with a solo home run, stretching the WPU lead to 5–2.
Shannon Van Rheenen (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Nursing) was the winning pitcher in game two, allowing only three hits over a complete‑game performance to lead the Statesmen to victory.
Up Next: William Penn will travel to Atchison, Kansas, on Thursday for a Heart doubleheader against Benedictine, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
