Vernon Walk-Off Secures Split Vs. Ashford
William Penn Women’s Athletics
Oskaloosa–Taylor Vernon (Fr., Tracy, Calif., Biology) made her first collegiate hit at the varsity level one she will never forget as she helped the William Penn softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Ashford Wednesday.
The Statesmen (5-14) lost the opener 5-1 before winning the nightcap 6-5 in dramatic fashion.
Down 5-2 with only three outs left to work with, WPU was on its way to another setback in a difficult start to the 2015 season. Between contests, Head Coach Mike Christner threw a wrench in the lineup, moving several members of the junior varsity squad up to the top team for the nightcap in hopes to get the struggling team’s motor started.
It appeared to do little good until, with one out, the team strung together three consecutive singles to narrow the deficit to two. Following a flyout, a fielding error by the Saints (12-8) and a base on balls loaded the pads and set up the eventual heroics by Vernon.
The freshman entered the at-bat 0-for-3, but took a mighty swing at a Nicole Schmidt delivery and drove it into the right-center gap, easily bringing in Jorden Steele (Sr., Tacoma, Wash., Physical Education) with the tying run and Bri Zerley (Sr., Monroe, Iowa, Biology) with the game-winner.
“We played like William Penn teams do in the second game–with fire, energy, and desire,” Christner said. “We have the talent to be a good team; we just need to continue to work hard and believe in ourselves.”
The hosts scored the game’s first run in the first when Brittanee Grove (Sr., Runnells, Iowa, Elementary Education) singled in Ashlee Dennis (Sr., Loveland, Colo., Biology). Grove, who also pitched the nightcap (she is now 2-4; five Ks in the win), doubled home Steele in the third as well to tighten the margin to 3-2 at that point.
Steele finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Grove was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Dennis rounded the bases on two occasions as well. William Penn overcame being outhit 11-9.
The first contest was not near as enthralling with Ashford getting on the board with four runs in the third. The visitors tacked on another in the fourth. Chyanne Koko (Fr., Waianae, Hawaii, Business Management) nullified the shutout in the seventh with a solo home run–her team-leading third of the season.
AU outhit WPU 10-5 in the opener, while Lunden Young (Sr., Lewiston, Idaho, Exercise Science) struck out eight (only three earned runs) in falling to 3-7.
Next Up: Due to some weather-based cancellations, William Penn will next be in action on Sunday, hosting Viterbo in Midwest Collegiate Conference play at 1 p.m.
