Statesmen Fall Twice to Ravens

William Penn University Athletics

Oskaloosa–The William Penn softball team came up just short in the opener and then struggled to find any positives in the nightcap as it was swept by Benedictine in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday.

WPU (14-15, 2-8 Heart) lost by scores of 9-5 (eight innings) and 9-0 (5 innings).

The Statesmen answered every offensive output the Ravens (15-10, 6-4 Heart) could muster in regulation, but ran out of gas in extra innings.

BC scored one run in the first and the hosts responded with one in the second. The visitors put a run on the board in both the third and fourth, but WPU got those right back in the bottom of the fifth when Jenny Navarro (Jr., Bellflower, Calif.) doubled home Chyanne Koko (Jr., Waianae, Hawaii, Physical Education) and Kodee Johnson (Sr., Stockton, Calif., General Mathematics).

The see-saw battle went back in Benedictine’s favor at 5-3 in the top of the sixth before WPU rallied to get to additional play with a run in each the sixth and seventh frames. Molly LaMotte (Sr., Enumclaw, Wash., Exercise Science) came around on a sixth-inning single by Michelle Castro (Fr., Acampo, Calif., Business Management), while LaMotte’s seventh-inning two-bagger plated Kacey Lutz (Jr., Lodi, Calif., Business Management) to make it 5-5.

Unfortunately, the Statesmen left the bases loaded in the sixth and also stranded runners at second and third in the seventh.

The Ravens erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth and WPU went quietly in the bottom half.

Both squads recorded eight hits with Koko and Navarro each ending up 2-for-5 at the plate.

A seven-run second inning highlighted BC’s game two victory. The Statesmen were outhit 10-2 in the nightcap.

Next Up: William Penn travels to Fayette, Mo. Sunday to face Central Methodist in a Heart doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.