Statesmen Upended Twice by Missouri Valley
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–The William Penn softball team enjoyed beautiful weather Saturday, but unfortunately could not have its cake and eat it too as it was swept by Missouri Valley in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.
William Penn (16-17, 4-10 Heart) lost by scores of 6-2 and 8-4 (9 innings).
A day after taking two big wins from Evangel, the navy and gold found themselves on the opposite end as it was exploited by some late-inning struggles.
The Vikings (14-14, 8-10 Heart) put the day’s first run on the scoreboard in the top of the second, but the Statesmen responded with their lone two runs in the bottom half. Taylor Vernon (Jr., Tracy, Calif., Biology) singled home Kacey Lutz (Jr., Lodi, Calif., Business Management) to tie the game and then Vernon herself later scored on a double by Molly LaMotte (Sr., Enumclaw, Wash., Exercise Science).
MVC tied the contest at 2-2 in the fourth and then went ahead for good with a four-run sixth frame.
WPU held a 9-8 advantage in hits, but left six on base in the setback. Lutz, LaMotte, and Kodee Johnson (Sr., Stockton, Calif., General Mathematics) all finished with two hits each.
In the nightcap, the visitors pulled out to a 2-0 lead after their second trip to the plate, but William Penn got both runs back in the bottom of the second courtesy of a LaMotte two-run home run that also plated Vernon. It is her second roundtripper of the year.
The Statesmen then claimed the edge at 3-2 in the third with another bomb, this one a solo shot off the bat of Chyanne Koko (Jr., Waianae, Hawaii, Physical Education). Koko has now left the park four times this spring.
Missouri Valley scored once in both the fifth and sixth innings to recapture the advantage, but a sixth-inning Vernon single brought in pinchrunner Kadie Meek (So., Bonaparte, Iowa, Physical Education) to knot the game at 4-4.
Neither side could scrounge up any offense in the seventh as William Penn went to extra innings for the third time in its last seven outings.
The Statesmen had a chance to earn a split by putting two on base in the eighth, but stranded the runners. The Vikings unfortunately did not falter in the ninth, scoring four runs to lock up the sweep.
MVC outhit WPU 17-8 with Emily Brown (Jr., Waverly, Iowa, Biology) ending the matchup at 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Koko added two hits as well.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Canton, Mo. Sunday to meet Culver-Stockton in another Heart doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
