Statesmen Snag One from #19 Vikings

William Penn University Athletics

Des Moines–The William Penn softball team reversed its fortunes for at least one game Saturday as it upset #19 Grand View as part of a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.

William Penn (17-24, 6-8 Heart) won the opener 4-3, but dropped the nightcap 7-0.

Chyanne Koko (So., Waianae, Hawaii, Business Management) helped her pitching cause by leading off the second with a double and later scoring on a single from Hayley Freestone (Fr., Las Vegas, Nev., Business Management).

With her team then trailing 2-1 after three innings, Freestone stepped up big again by driving in Kayla Browning (Jr. Spring Valley, Calif., Biology) on a two-bagger. Breann Robertson (Fr., Rainier, Wash., Human Services and Sociology) then doubled and scored on a passed ball in the fifth for a 3-2 edge.

Kodee Johnson (Jr., Stockton, Calif., General Mathematics) and her seventh-inning double plated Robertson for WPU’s final score to make it 4-2. The Vikings (32-8, 14-4 Heart) threatened in the bottom of the seventh, but only produced one run in dropping the one-run contest.

Johnson, Freestone, and Robertson all managed two hits in the win (WPU outhit GVU 8-6).

Koko earned the victory by allowing just two runs (both earned) on five hits in 4 2/3 innings (1 K, 2 BBs), while Elizabeth Whitaker (Jr., Azalea, Ore., Exercise Science) notched the save with three strikeouts in 2 1/2 frames.

The visitors committed two errors in the opening inning of game two and GVU took advantage with four runs. That was more than enough as the Statesmen were limited to three hits and also had three fielding mistakes.

Tabitha Scott (Fr., Placentia, Calif., Psychology) struck out three with one walk in the nightcap. Grand View outhit the navy and gold 11-3.

Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Sunday to host Mount Mercy in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.