WPU Just Misses Sweep of Clarke
William Penn Women’s Athletics
Dubuque–The Statesmen softball team finished just one scoreless inning shy of getting a much-needed sweep over a Midwest Collegiate Conference foe it is chasing, instead it had to settle for a split against Clarke Saturday.
William Penn (12-23, 5-5 MCC) lost the opener 2-1 and won the nightcap 7-2.
Through six innings, Brittanee Grove (Sr., Runnells, Iowa, Elementary Education) provided the only offense in the first contest as she left the park with a lead-off solo home run in the fourth inning. The senior, who notched her second homer of the year, finished 2-for-3 as the visitors outhit the Crusaders (20-12, 10-4 MCC) by a tally of 7-4.
Lunden Young (Sr., Lewiston, Idaho, Exercise Science) motored through the first six frames, only permitting six baserunners (two to second base), but it all went 180 degrees the other direction with just two at-bats. She walked the first batter in the seventh and then departed the field as the game’s losing pitcher by giving up a walk-off, two-run home run to Allyson Renforth.
Young struck out ten against three walks in falling to 5-9.
The Statesmen did not let the heartbreak from the opener spoil their day as they rebounded with all seven of their second-game runs in the first two innings.
Ashlee Dennis (Sr., Loveland, Colo., Biology) plated the day’s first run on a groundout by Grove in the first inning.
The navy and gold really did damage in the second, though, with six more runs, highlighted by a three-run double by Bri Zerley (Sr., Monroe, Iowa, Biology). Sydney Edwards (Sr., Galesburg, Ill., Biology & Psychology), Chyanne Koko (Fr., Waianae, Hawaii, Business Management), and Grove also drove in a run each on singles.
William Penn owned a 12-5 edge in base knocks with Grove, Zerley, Jorden Steele (Sr., Tacoma, Wash., Physical Education), and Marissa Pereyra (Jr., Fullerton, Calif., Exercise Science) all finishing 2-for-4.
Grove also went the distance in the circle to even her record at 6-6. The senior permitted two earned runs, while walking three (no strikeouts).
Next Up: William Penn travels to Cedar Rapids Sunday to face Clarke in another MCC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
