Lady Statesmen Keep Pace with Two Wins at MCC Weekend
William Penn Women's Athletics
Morrison, Ill.–Crazy Iowa weather refused to cooperate Saturday, but when the William Penn softball team finally got on the field Sunday, it brought a stout defense in claiming a pair of victories at the second Midwest Collegiate Conference Weekend.
William Penn (29-12, 10-6 MCC) defeated St. Ambrose 2-0 and then slipped by Mount Mercy 5-1 (8 innings). Saturday’s contests were cancelled due to poor playing conditions and no make-up dates have yet been announced.
The Lady Statesmen remain two games behind league leader Grand View and are in a virtual tie with Viterbo (9-5) and Waldorf (11-7) for second place. The regular season standings are important because the league’s top three teams host the three MCC Tournament First Round pods on April 30-May 1.
Jennifer Whitehead (Fr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) tossed one of her best games of the spring against the Queen Bees (10-23, 7-13 MCC) in the day’s opener. The freshman (15-6) allowed just two hits in a complete game, while striking out four and walking one.
With Whitehead rolling, William Penn needed very little offense, recording both of its runs in the third frame.
Ashley Nieto (Jr., Cement City, Mich., Jackson CC) reached on a fielder’s choice and then moved into scoring position with a stolen base. She was then brought around on a single by Molly Miller (So., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) to make it 1-0. Miller concluded the scoring two batters later on a double by Ashley Stream (Jr., Chariton, Chariton HS).
Whitehead retired the final ten batters she faced for the win.
The Lady Statesmen tallied just four base knocks, but had players reach base in all but one of their six frames.
Offense was again at a premium versus the Mustangs (18-20, 8-8 MCC) as both squads scored a run in the first, but nothing else until extra innings.
William Penn managed its run with a two-out rally. Cassie Lohman (So., Burbank, Calif., Providence HS) started the sequence with a double and then Stream plated her with a single in the following at-bat.
Mount Mercy answered right back, and although there were six combined runners in scoring positions over the final six frames, no other runs were tallied and extra innings ensued.
Miller opened the eighth with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice by Lohman. She later scored the go-ahead run on a two-base error by the pitcher.
Stream then touched her final base on a single by Christine Gamble (Jr., Pahrump, Nev., Pahrump Valley HS), while Amanda Christenson (So., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) singled home Gamble. An Ashley Kingery (So., Knoxville, Knoxville HS) double ended the frame as Christenson crossed home plate as well.
Amber Daly (Jr., Napa, Calif., Solano CC) finished the contest with a perfect bottom of the eighth to improve to 13-5. The junior scattered eight hits (seven for William Penn), but had to work out of several jams. She struck out two in the win.
Next: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Wednesday to host Clarke in an MCC doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
