Lady Statesmen Sweep Baker in Home Opener
William Penn Lady Statesmen softball in action March 13, 2011 against Baker
Oskaloosa–Any doubters were silenced Sunday as the Penn softball team provided a smorgasbord of offense for its home crowd in a doubleheader sweep of Baker (Kan.) in non-conference play Sunday.
The #30 Lady Statesmen (14-5) rallied to beat the Wildcats 9-8 in the opener and then completed the sweep with an 8-0, six-inning dismantling in the nightcap.
The hosts, playing their home opener on a very chilly afternoon, allowed two runs in the first inning, but then responded with seven unanswered to lead 7-2 after three frames.
Cassie Holt (Jr., Twin Lakes, Wis., Muskego HS) collected the big hit with a two-run double in the third, but the advantage would not stand as Baker (6-8) hung around and strung together scoring innings of two runs, three runs, and one run to reclaim the edge 8-7 entering the final half inning.
Cassie Lohman (So., Burbank, Calif., Providence HS) started the rally by reaching on an error and Amanda Christenson (So., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) replaced her on the basepaths.
Brittany Labbe (So., Northridge, Calif., Chaminade HS) then battled in the next at-bat before finally tripling home Christenson with the tying run.
Standing just 60 feet away from putting the winning run on the board, Labbe had to wait two batters before the team could celebrate.
Andrea Rensberger (Sr., Sioux City, Sioux City North HS) entered the day leading Penn with a .422 batting average, but was replaced for pinch-hitter Christine Gamble (Jr., Pahrump, Nev., Pahrump Valley HS). The junior did not disappoint by pounding a single up the middle to bring in Labbe with the winning score.
Penn was outhit 13-11, but took advantage of four Wildcat errors in the win. Seven individuals recorded a base knock.
The foursome of Labbe, Holt, Ashley Nieto (Jr., Cement City, Mich., Jackson CC), and Brianne Rowley (Jr., Hood River, Ore., Blue Mountain CC) were all 2-for-4, while Holt led her squad with two RBIs and Labbe rounded the bases twice.
Jennifer Whitehead (Fr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) escaped with the win to improve to 7-3. The freshman allowed eight runs (all earned) on 13 hits. She also walked two without a strikeout.
Amber Daly (Jr., Napa, Calif., Solano CC) made sure it was not a pair of heart pounders for the Penn faithful, dominating Baker to the tune of a two-hit shutout (her second of the year). She struck out three batters and retired 15 batters in a row to conclude the contest and move to 6-1 this spring.
Penn finally broke the scoreless tie with one run in the third and blew the game open with four more in the fifth, including a two-run triple by Athena Rosario (Jr., Bremerton, Wash., Olympic CC).
Following back-to-back singles by Molly Miller (So., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) and Rowley, Ashley Stream (Jr., Chariton, Chariton HS) ended the afternoon with a towering three-run homer over the left field fence to secure the eight-run mercy-rule victory. It was her third roundtripper of the campaign.
Rowley paced the team with a 3-for-4 showing (two runs), while Stream had just one hit, but still managed four RBIs and two runs scored. Miller notched two hits and Rosario finished with two RBIs. Once again, seven players reached base via a hit (11 total hits).
Next: Penn travels to Bellevue, Neb. next Saturday to face Bellevue in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
