Koko Walk-Off Helps WPU to Split in Home Opener
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–Fans who showed up to William Penn’s home-opening doubleheader were treated to a home run derby as the Statesmen softball team split two Heart of America Athletic Conference contests with Peru State Tuesday.
WPU (13-10, 1-3 Heart) lost the first game 7-6, but rallied to take the nightcap 11-9 (10 innings).
The twinbill featured 12 roundtrippers, including three by the navy and gold, but none was bigger than the one off the bat of Chyanne Koko (Jr., Waianae, Hawaii, Physical Education) that ended the evening.
The Statesmen outhit the Bobcats (9-12, 4-2 Heart) 10-9 in the first matchup, but the visitors were able to get five of their runs off of their three homers.
The hosts scored first with a two-spot in the third. Koko doubled home Kodee Johnson (Sr., Stockton, Calif., General Mathematics) and then scored herself on a single by Emily Brown (Jr., Waverly, Iowa, Biology).
Unfortunately, Peru State battled right back, posting all of their tallies over the next two frames. WPU cut the deficit to three with two runs in the fifth as singles by Gabrielle Braniff (Sr., Olympia, Wash., Public Accounting and Business Management) and Taylor Vernon (Jr., Tracy, Calif., Ripon HS) scored Brown and Jenny Navarro (Jr., Bellflower, Calif.), respectively.
Vernon then drove in two final runs in William Penn’s last at-bats in the seventh, clearing the left-field fence, but the Statesmen could not finish the rally. The junior, whose home run is her first of 2017, paced her team by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Katie Springer (So., Riverside, Iowa, Undecided) allowed just four hits and no earned runs in three innings out of the bullpen; she struck out one and walked one as well.
The nightcap had even more fireworks as both sides produced long several long bombs. The Bobcats actually had two players–Rachel Carlos with three and Leah Quick with two–who left the park on multiple occasions. William Penn countered with six doubles and two four-baggers.
After three frames, the score was tied 2-2 as Johnson and Koko recorded back-to-back doubles in the third inning.
Peru State then managed the next four runs, but WPU claimed its first lead of the contest with seven unanswered, including a six-run sixth. Kacey Lutz (Jr., Lodi, Calif., Business Management) started the rally with a lead-off solo home run (first of 2017), while the patient Statesmen then drew three walks against the new Bobcat pitcher. Pinch-hitter Molly LaMotte (Sr., Enumclaw, Wash., Exercise Science) cleared the pads with a double before Brown had an RBI double and Navarro had an RBI single.
The navy and gold failed to hold their 9-6 edge, however, as PSC pounded one more home run to headline three runs in the top of the seventh to force extra innings.
Neither program could end it in the next two frames, pushing the matchup to use the international tiebreaker (a runner starts on second base with no outs) into the 10th. The Statesmen appeared destined to have to play at least one more inning, but Johnson reached on a two-out bunt single and Koko scored both players by launching a shot over the left-center wall to end the night. She now has three HRs this spring.
The Statesmen rally also helped them to outhit Peru State 16-14. Johnson guided the efforts by going 4-for-4 with four runs. Koko finished 3-for-6 (three RBIs) and Lutz and Reddy both had two hits apiece. LaMotte, with three, and Brown, with two, finished with multiple RBIs, while Reddy (two) joined Johnson with more than one run scored.
WPU utilized three different hurlers in the second outing and Springer was again the best. She permitted only one hit with one K in three frames to get the win.
