Young’s One-Hitter Leads WPU to Upset Sweep of ONU
Statesmen softball team swept perennial power Olivet Nazarene
Oskaloosa–Producing its best outings since the first weekend of the year, the Statesmen softball team swept perennial power Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday.
William Penn (10-19) won by scores of 4-0 and 6-4; ONU (19-11) is unofficially 37th in the NAIA.
Lunden Young (Sr., Lewiston, Idaho, Exercise Science) was nearly untouchable in the opener, permitting just one hit (in the fifth inning) against the Tigers. The senior (5-7) walked three, while striking out eight for her second shutout of the spring.
The Statesmen snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth with Taylor Vernon (Fr., Tracy, Calif., Biology) doubling home Bri Zerley (Sr., Monroe, Iowa, Biology).
WPU was in need of some insurance in the sixth and got it with three runs. Ashlee Dennis (Sr., Loveland, Colo., Biology) came around on a single by Zerley, while Brittanee Grove (Sr., Runnells, Iowa, Elementary Education) finished the final 60 feet courtesy of an error on the same play.
Pinchrunner Siarra Velasquez (Jr., Carter Lake, Iowa, Biology), on the pads for Zerley, then capped the scoring by touching home on a wild pitch.
Only two ONU batters reached second base in the game one victory as WPU outhit the visitors 7-1. Zerley led the hosts with two hits.
As great as it was in the opener, the start of the nightcap was equally troublesome for William Penn. Fortunately, starting pitcher Grove worked out of trouble in the top of the first. Zerley then helped her teammate out in the bottom half with a run-scoring single to plate Chyanne Koko (Fr., Waianae, Hawaii, Business Management).
Olivet Nazarene really started figuring out Grove in the second, eventually bouncing her from the pitcher’s circle. Relief hurler Paige Miguel (Jr., Hollister, Calif., Exercise Science) also permitted a good deal of baserunners, but only three runs came in during the second and third frames.
Down 3-1 entering the fourth, 10 Statesmen came to the plate in a four-run inning. Jorden Steele (Sr., Tacoma, Wash., Physical Education) headlined the rally with a two-run double.
ONU cut the margin in half at 5-4 in the top of the fifth, but a single on the bottom side by Gabrielle Braniff (So., Olympia, Wash., General Accounting) put the navy and gold back ahead by two runs–this time for good–with an RBI single. William Penn was outhit 11-10 with Koko and Zerley each posting two hits.
Miguel gathered her first win at WPU to move to 1-6. She gave up two runs (both earned) on five hits in three innings. Young entered in the fifth and shut down the Tigers for her first save of the campaign. ONU did not post a base knock against the senior and struck out once. The first two batters in the seventh both drew walks, but Young proceeded to get three straight outs to finish off the sweep.
“This is how we played down in Alabama during the first two days of the year,” Head Coach Mike Christner said. “This is what we are capable of doing every game.”
Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa next Tuesday, hosting AIB in a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
