Riccardi Homers in Split Vs. Park
Oskaloosa–Lexi Riccardi (Sr., Redwood City, Calif., Biology) left the park to secure the first game for the William Penn softball team, but late-inning heroics were not available for the nightcap in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader split against Park Saturday.
WPU (16-19, 10-13 Heart) won the opener 2-1, but dropped the opener 3-2.
The hosts, who put runners in scoring position in each of the first two frames, unfortunately failed to score on either opportunity.
The Pirates (5-21, 5-17 Heart) also missed out on chances early on, but eventually got on the board first with one run in the top of the fifth.
Despite being outhit 8-7, the navy and gold needed just one base knock to change the trajectory of the contest. Following a one-out single by Valeria Quiroga (Fr., San Benito, Texas, Sociology), Riccardi provided that hit as she crushed the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to give William Penn a 2-1 edge. The home run is her third of 2021.
Peyton Parker (Jr., LaPorte City, Iowa, Sports Management) then retired the PU side in order in the top of the seventh to collect her first win of the season. The junior tallied five strikeouts (no walks) in the complete game.
Charley Geguzis (Fr., Williamsburg, Iowa) topped her team with a 2-for-3 outing, including producing the squad’s first triple of the season.
Fortunes switched hands in the second game as the Statesmen owned a 6-4 advantage in hits, but ended up on the losing end of another one-run bout.
The visitors scored once in the first and also in the second. Rachael Haessly (Jr., Alpine, Calif., Biology) helped cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second when she led off with a double and scored on a Geguzis single.
Lexi Resa (Jr., Liberty, Mo., Biology) then knotted the game at 2-2 in the third. The junior managed a leadoff single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nayely Martinez (Fr., Carson, Calif.). She wisely advanced another base on the play as the Park defense did not cover third.
Resa scored in the next at-bat off a deep single via Quiroga. The home crew unfortunately only had one more baserunner the remainder of the contest. Meanwhile, the Pirates took the lead for good with one score in the fifth.
Ashton Brown (Fr., Ottumwa, Iowa) was tagged with the tough loss. She allowed just three runs (two earned) on three hits in 5 1/3 innings, while striking out one and walking four. Parker relieved her in the sixth and struck out one with one hit in 1 2/3 frames.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Lamoni next Wednesday to face Graceland in a Heart doubleheader at 3 p.m.
