Brown Homers as Statesmen Fall Twice
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–The William Penn softball team nearly won the opener, but then ran out of gas in a frustrating nightcap as it was swept by Baker in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Thursday.
WPU (19-26, 7-19 Heart) lost by scores of 4-3 (8 innings) and 12-3 (5 innings).
The hosts made the first noise with two runs in the bottom of the first. Chyanne Koko (Jr., Waianae, Hawaii, Physical Education) singled home Kacey Lutz (Jr., Lodi, Calif., Business Management), while Kodee Johnson (Sr., Stockton, Calif., General Mathematics) also scored on the play via a Baker error.
The Wildcats (22-19, 15-13 Heart) knotted the contest with two runs in the third and then went on top 3-2 with another tally in the top of the sixth.
Emily Brown (Jr., Waverly, Iowa, Biology) managed to tie the game once more in the bottom half of the sixth as she launched a solo shot over the left field fence. It is the first home run of the year for Brown. Neither crew scored in the seventh as William Penn went to extra innings for the sixth time this spring.
BU scored one final run in the top of eighth, but WPU failed to produce an answer in the setback. The home team was outhit 9-5 and had struggles figuring out Wildcat hurler Olivia Brees. The sophomore entered the game ranked second in the NAIA with 10.7 strikeouts per game and unfortunately bettered that mark with 14 K’s Thursday.
Koko recorded three strikeouts of her own (two walks) in a complete-game performance. Just two of the runs she permitted were earned as the Statesmen committed four errors.
The visitors, who scored in four different innings, put the game away with eight runs in the second.
Down 2-0 after one half frame, William Penn cut the deficit to one in the bottom side when a double by Jenny Navarro (Jr., Bellflower, Calif.) scored Koko.
Michelle Castro (Fr., Acampo, Calif., Business Management) gave the squad one more run as she came around on a fourth-inning single by Brooklyn Bantz (Jr., Smithville, Mo., Psychology and Human Services). Castro was 2-for-2 at the dish; BU owned a 14-6 advantage over WPU.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Dubuque Saturday to face Clarke in a Heart doubleheader at 1 p.m.
