Offense Quieted as Statesmen Swept by #11 CMU
Fayette, Mo.–Despite a lockdown performance by a local talent, the William Penn softball team could not pull the upset as it was swept by #11 Central Methodist in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Sunday.
WPU (12-12, 5-5 Heart) lost by scores of 6-1 and 1-0 to the Eagles (17-4, 9-1 Heart).
Allyson Stewart (Jr., Delta, B.C., Nursing) gave the visitors a 1-0 advantage in the second frame of the opener as she hit a one-out single and scored later in the inning on another one-bagger by Chelsey Huff (Fr., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science). Nayely Martinez (So., Carson, Calif.) also had a hit sandwiched in there as all three Statesmen base knocks were recorded in the second.
CMU answered back with two runs in the bottom half and never trailed again. The home squad, which posted an 8-3 edge in hits, added two more runs in both the third and fifth innings.
Huff had the better outing of the two hurlers WPU employed in the opener, permitting two runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings. She struck out one batter, while walking one as well.
Oskaloosa native Hayle Hacker (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Nursing and Human Services) was handed the ball for the second contest and despite making just her second appearance of the season, the freshman was outstanding as she limited the Eagles to only four hits in five innings. She tallied two strikeouts against two bases on balls.
Unfortunately, Hacker suffered control issues in the first inning and ultimately allowed the game’s only run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. She got in the zone after that, retiring 10 Central Methodist batters in a row at one point, before being replaced by Ashton Brown (So., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) in the sixth.
Brown kept the deficit at one, but the navy and gold failed to scratch one across in the seventh. Kiana Young (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) was hit-by-pitch, but could not come around to tie the game.
Although it was held to just two hits, William Penn had baserunners in six of the seven innings, including putting a player in scoring position twice. Unfortunately, no one touched home as the Eagles completed the sweep. Martinez and Charley Geguzis (So., Williamsburg, Iowa) tallied one base knock each in the nightcap.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Canton, Mo. Tuesday to face Culver-Stockton in a Heart doubleheader at 1 p.m.
