Seniors, Penn Field Sent Off in Memorable Fashion with Pair of Walk-Offs

Oskaloosa–Twists and turns and two mind-blowing finishes were delivered for Senior Day and the final afternoon of softball at the friendly confines of Penn Field as the William Penn softball team swept Mount Mercy in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday.

The final day of softball at Penn Field could not have been scripted with WPU (27-19, 18-10 Heart) winning by scores of 4-3 and 13-12 (11 innings). The home of the Statesmen for over four decades, the facility made sure to go out with a bang as the navy and gold produced two walk-off wins to secure the No. 5 seed for next week’s Heart Championship in Cedar Rapids.

The Mustangs (20-26, 15-13 Heart) pulled out to a 2-0 advantage in the opener, scoring twice in the third inning.

William Penn answered right away as Laila Gutierrez (Jr., Seminole, Texas, Business Management) doubled into the right-center gap to plate Austin Hitchner (Fr., McKenna, Wash., Secondary Education) and Eva Viox (So., Columbia, Mo., Exercise Science).

MMU recaptured the lead in its next at-bats and retained it until the final out of the contest. Bailee Rinn (Sr., Omaha, Neb., Biology) led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but was unable to advance after back-to-back outs.

Laila Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) then strolled to the plate, and with a colossal swing of her stick on the first pitch she was offered, the junior claimed the victory with a two-run home run.

The hosts, who posted a 7-6 edge in hits, had to overcome three errors. Seven different Statesmen tallied a base knock in the victory, while Viox and Laila Smith both drew a walk as well.

Hitcher collected the win in the pitching circle, permitting just one earned run in a complete-game effort. The freshman struck out three against two walks.

As an encore, the teams played an extra four innings, maybe not of their own volition, however. For just a bit Saturday afternoon, it appeared Penn Field was holding William Penn and Mount Mercy hostage, not allowing the era of collegiate softball at the venue to end. Finally, the facility surrendered its grip as Gutierrez singled home Marin Frazee (Jr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) with the game-winner in the bottom of the 11th inning. Before that, though, fans from both sides experienced a litany of emotions.

In a bout that featured 25 runs, 33 hits, six errors, and 23 runners left on base, the Mustangs scored the initial run in the top of first.

The Statesmen then attempted to make the nightcap a quick blowout, scoring six times in the bottom of the second. Breleigh Mengel (Jefferson, Wis., Nursing) started the frame with a single that plated pinchrunner Maci Rutledge (So., Chadron, Neb., Nursing).

Gutierrez then drew a bases-loaded walk before Laila Smith plated Frazee and Mckenna Vasser (Rochester, Wash., Business Management) with a double. Leah Conlon (Fr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) added her own two-RBI hit, a single that scored Gutierrez and Laila Smith.

The visitors would unfortunately not go away easily, scoring four in the next half inning to pull within one at 6-5.

After two uneventful innings, MMU added three more unanswered runs to go on top 8-6 entering the bottom of the seventh.

Mirroring the first game, the navy and gold were again down to their final out in the nightcap, but Gutierrez’s hit–a single–found the grass. Rinn and Viox touched home plate and extra innings ensued.

The eighth inning was scoreless, but then both squads provided heroics galore over the next three frames. A Mount Mercy home run put the visitors ahead 9-8 in the top of the ninth, but Frazee matched it with a roundtripper of her own.

That advanced the matchup to the 10th inning, where the International Tiebreaker was implemented, placing a runner on second to start the frame.

The Mustangs again went with the long ball to go up two runs, but the Statesmen found two of their own. Conlon singled in Gutierrez, and then scored herself as Mount Mercy threw the ball away on what would have been the third and final out.

The 11th and final inning saw MMU yet again pull ahead with one tally, only to witness a final comeback by the Statesmen.

Vasser started the frame on second base and was moved 60 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Rinn. Frazee then joined her on the basepaths after being hit by a pitch.

Following an offering to Gutierrez, the catcher returned the ball to the pitcher. On the gutsiest of moves, as the ball was thrown back, Vasser broke for home and slid in safely to tie the game at 12. Frazee also stole second on the play.

Penn Field then graciously allowed Gutierrez to finally send everyone in attendance home as she yanked a double down the left-field line that brought in Frazee. Celebrating commenced.

In a game full of heroes, Gutierrez’s two hits led to four RBIs, while Conlon paced the squad at 4-for-6 with three RBIs. Mengel and Laila Smith were both good for three hits, while Tori Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) contributed two as well.

Laila Smith drove in a pair, while Frazee scored on three occasions. Gutierrez, Viox, and Vasser also all touched home plate twice.

Likely to get lost in the madness, though it should not, was the fact that Shannon Van Rheenen (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Nursing) worked nine innings out of the bullpen. The freshman entered in the third inning and allowed only three earned runs and struck out one.

“It was the perfect day for William Penn Softball,” Head Coach Laura North said. “We had so much to celebrate today, and getting two wins on top of it is special. Our three seniors, Bailee, KB, and Elyse (Rios) are such amazing young women who represent this program so well.”

“This was one of the craziest and most exciting days of softball that I have ever been a part of,” North added. “The grit and determination of the whole team was so incredible. Even though these games had essentially no effect on the conference standings, our ladies came to compete. They are just so stubborn, in a good way.”

“The extra innings and the use of the International Tiebreaker was a good way to prepare for the tournament next week,” North said. “Then, to come out on top, that gives us a lot of confidence and momentum. I am so proud of this team and how hard they have worked to get to where we are. Finishing fifth in the Heart is something to be proud of.”