WPU Sweeps No. 17 Eagles in Home Upsets

Oskaloosa–The Statesmen softball team put the league on notice Thursday as it knocked off No. 17 Central Methodist twice in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.

William Penn (21-17, 12-8 Heart) won by scores of 5-3 and 8-7.

The hosts made the initial breakthrough in the opener, scoring three in the bottom of the first inning. Leah Conlon (Fr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) doubled home Laila Gutierrez (Jr., Seminole, Texas, Business Management) and then scored herself as Tori Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) cleared the left-field fence for a two-run home run and a 3-0 advantage.

Conlon paced the Statesmen offense with a 2-for-3 showing.

CMU (27-14, 13-7) pulled within one at 3-2 in its next at-bats, but Tori Smith stymied the opposing batters the rest of the way. She tossed a complete game, permitting just three runs (two earned) on four hits. The junior struck out four and overcame six walks.

WPU added insurance in the bottom of the fifth when pinchrunner Bailee Rinn (Sr., Omaha, Neb., Biology) scored, while Marin Frazee (Jr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) also came around on a single by Laila Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) for a 5-2 margin.

The Eagles got one run back, but were denied the comeback.

Laila Smith and Rylee Riesberg (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa, Exercise Science) both recorded a base knock and a walk in the day’s first contest.

The nightcap provided a rollercoaster of emotions at Penn Field, beginning with both parties putting up crooked numbers in the first frame.

Central Methodist scored three in the top half, but the navy and gold answered as Frazee and Laila Smith both left the park with solo home runs to make it 3-2 in favor of the Eagles.

WPU then claimed the lead in the second. Frazee singled home Breleigh Mengel (Fr., Jefferson, Wis., Nursing), while Gutierrez drove in Riesberg. Austin Hitchner (Fr., McKenna, Wash., Secondary Education) also touched home plate on the play via an Eagle error.

The edge grew to three at 6-3 in the third inning when Eva Viox (So., Columbia, Mo., Exercise Science) deposited a ball down the right-field line to plate Mengel.

The visitors caught fire a couple innings later, however, to go back on top 7-6 entering the seventh-inning swings for William Penn.

Gutierrez led off the frame with a single and Laila Smith followed with her own one-bagger. She was then replaced on the basepaths by Rinn.

Conlon’s sacrifice bunt moved both baserunners 60 feet closer, setting up the Statesmen heroics. Tori Smith then sent a shot into left field. The ball was caught, but it was deep enough for Gutierrez to tag up and score to knot the game at 7-7.

Mengel then put the twinbill to rest when, on the seventh pitch she was offered (following two foul balls), she drove a full-count pitch into right field. Rinn, leaving on contact with two outs, was waved home and just beat the throw to the plate to send the Statesmen into a frenzied celebration.

Mengel finished 3-for-4 with the RBI and two runs scored. The quartet of Gutierrez, Laila Smith, Riesberg, and Viox also contributed two hits each, while Frazee rounded the pads twice. The navy and gold overcame a 14-12 deficit in base knocks.

William Penn utilized three different hurlers in the victory. After Hitcher worked the first inning, Shannon Van Rheenen (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Nursing) took over for 3 1/3 frames, permitting only two runs on six scattered hits. Tori Smith eventually collected the win, allowing two runs on four hits with one walk over the final 2 2/3 innings.

“This was a great offensive performance with the whole lineup getting involved, including a few long balls and a walk-off from Breleigh Mengel,” Head Coach Laura North said. “We are also incredibly proud of how gritty Tori Smith has been in the circle for us, along with Shannon Van Rheenen and Austin Hitchner complementing her. These were big wins to kick off a big weekend of conference games for us.”

Next Up: William Penn travels to Olathe, Kan. Saturday to face MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart play at 3 p.m.