Softball Comes Up Short in Batesville
Batesville, Ark. — 452 miles of travel brought the Statesmen softball team to Arkansas as they went to take part in a tri-way set of games against Lyon College (Ark.) and Judson University (Ill.). WPU played both teams once on the leap day of 2020 but the team came up short in each contest, losing 0-2 and 3-4. The Statesmen are now 0-7 on the year.
Game 1: WPU 0 Lyon 2
Lyon had started off the year with a couple of big wins, including a ranked team, and entered the day 9-3 overall. They were looking to bounce back after a close loss to Judson to start the day while William Penn was searching for its first win of the season.
The game turned into a pitching duel right from the get go as the navy and gold went down in order in the top of the first. Dakota Kulis (Fr., Chicago, Ill., Biology) got the ball for the team in game one and while she hit two batters in the bottom of the first, she and the defense got a double play and a line out to keep the Scots at bay. The trend of little offense would continue over the next couple of innings as the Statesmen remained hitless. The Scots threatened again in the bottom of the third with back to back base hits but once more, Kulis worked the zone and got the Lyon batters out.
Sonia Reddy (Sr., Tracy, Calif., Exercise Science) got aboard in the top of the fourth on an error and got all the way to third but the Statesmen could not bring her home. The Scots pushed a run over in the bottom of the fourth and while the navy and gold got a runner to second in the top of the fifth, no one could scratch her all the way around.
William Penn got its first hit in the top of the seventh on a double by Lexy Underwood (Fr., Escalon, Calif., Elementary Education) but she remained at second as Lyon preserved the win by getting three straight outs. Kulis went six strong innings, giving up eight hits, two runs of which one was earned, and struck out one batter. It was her first loss of the year. Despite losing a close one, WPU needed to refocus quickly for their first game against Judson.
Game 2 WPU 3 Judson 4
An eight inning thriller capped day one of the action in Batesville as William Penn (0-6) and Judson (7-6) went to extra innings on the extra day of the year.
Peyton Parker (Jr., LaPorte City, Iowa, Sports Management) started the second contest and put Judson away over the first three innings. She had a scary moment in the first as the Eagles loaded the bases. However, with two outs in the bag, Parker got a strike out to keep designated road team off the board.
The bottom of the first was quiet for the Statesmen but the second and third were productive. Lindsay Lambert (Sr., Elk Grove, Calif., Elementary Education) fashioned her first home run of the year with one out in the bottom of the second. In the bottom of the third, Reddy reached on an error and skipped over to second on the play. Advancing to third on a wild pitch, Avery Rayos (Jr., Henderson, Nev., Biology) hit a ground ball that scored the senior.
Up 2-0 after 3, Judson would respond with a strong top of the fourth, notching two runs on five hits. The proceedings settled down after that, with William Penn going down in the bottom half of the inning and no hits for either squad coming in the fifth.
The Statesmen got a great chance to go up in the bottom of the sixth, as Lexi Riccardi (Sr., Redwood City, Calif., Biology) led off with a single and Lambert tagged on another right after her. A sac bunt put the runners at second and third with one out, but the next two hitters were put away. With no hits for either side in the seventh, the action went to the eighth.
In the extra frame, Judson got a runner on with their first batter and she was bunted over to third. Despite Parker’s strong form all game long, she then gave up a two-run homer that put Judson on top for good. WPU made a good comeback effort courtesy of Rayos, who got aboard early in the frame. She eventually scored on a wild pitch but no one else reached base safely. Parker went all eight innings giving up four runs on 12 hits, walking and striking out two. She falls to 0-4 on the season. William Penn had three runs on six hits and one error. Lambert led the team with two hits while she and Rayos each had an RBI.
Next Up: The team will be back in action tomorrow against the same two schools, playing Judson at 9:00 a.m. and Lyon at 1:00 p.m.
