William Penn Bounces Back in Game Two to Split Series with Park
Parkville, Mo. — The William Penn softball team traveled to Park University on Friday for a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader, splitting the series with the Pirates after falling 7-3 in game one and rebounding for a 12-2 victory in game two.
Park 7, WPU 3
The Pirates jumped out to an early lead in game one, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-0 advantage.
In the top of the fourth, William Penn responded as Leah Conlon (Fr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) doubled to left-center, driving in Marin Frazee (Jr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) and cutting Park’s lead to 3-1.
Park added insurance runs, scoring one in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the bottom of the sixth, extending their lead to 7-1 heading into the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh, WPU made a late push, scoring two runs. Tori Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) doubled to left field, bringing Maci Rutledge (So., Chadron, Neb., Nursing) home. Jessica Lathrop (So., Ankeny, Iowa, Exercise Science) followed with an RBI groundout, scoring Leah Conlon and cutting the Pirates’ lead to 7-3.
Park shut down William Penn over the final outs of the seventh, holding on for a 7-3 victory in game one.
WPU 12, Park 2
WPU struck first in game two, as Laila Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) reached on a fielding error in the top of the first, bringing in Marin Frazee for a 1-0 lead. Tori Smith followed with an RBI single up the middle, scoring her sister Laila Smith and extending the Statesmen’s lead to 2-0.
Park scored its only two runs in the bottom of the second, knotting the game at 2-2.
The Statesmen responded with two runs in the top of the third. Tori Smith hit an RBI double to left field, driving in Bailee Rinn (Sr., Omaha, Neb., Biology), and was later brought home by Eva Viox’s (So., Columbia, Mo., Exercise Science) RBI single into left, putting WPU back in control at 4-2.
In the top of the sixth, William Penn added two insurance runs on a two-RBI single by Laila Smith, scoring Marin Frazee and Mckenna Vasser (Fr., Rochester, Wash., Business Management) to extend the lead to 6-2. Tori Smith then kept the inning alive with a two-run home run, pushing the Statesmen’s advantage to 8-2.
In the top of the seventh, Laila Smith hit a grand slam, driving in Laila Gutierrez (Jr., Seminole, Texas, Business Management), Mckenna Vasser, and Kya Butler (Sr., Newton, Iowa, Sports Management), putting the game out of reach at 12-2.
In the circle, Shannon Van Rheenen (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Nursing) pitched 3.1 innings, allowing two runs while recording one strikeout. Tori Smith took over for the final 3.2 innings, earning the win by surrendering just one hit, no runs, and striking out one batter.
At the plate, the Smith sisters dominated, combining for 10 RBIs and two home runs—Laila Smith with six RBIs and a homer, and Tori Smith with four RBIs and a homer, along with an additional double.
Up Next: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa to face Central Methodist in a Heart doubleheader, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
