Statesmen Punch Ticket for League Tourney with Sweep of MNU
Oskaloosa–The William Penn softball team not only locked up a postseason berth on Senior Day, but also built confidence as it took down MidAmerica Nazarene twice in Heart of America Athletic Conference play Saturday.
WPU (29-19, 13-11 Heart) swept the Pioneers by scores of 5-4 and 6-0. The navy and gold clinched a spot in next week’s Heart Championship, and will be riding a three-game winning streak.
On the final day of the regular season, the hosts dropped MNU (21-25, 12-12 Heart) in two very different ways, beginning with rallying from three runs down in the opener.
MidAmerica Nazarene jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first, while Marin Frazee (So., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) did almost all of the work to provide a response. She walked and then stole two bases before Chelsey Huff (Sr., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) brought her in on a sacrifice fly.
The visitors stretched their lead back to three with one tally in the top of the fifth, but Rylee Riesberg (So., Ankeny, Iowa, Exercise Science) got that run back with a solo home run in the bottom half. It was the first hit of the game for WPU.
The roundtripper sparked the Statesmen as they scored three more in the sixth. Laila Smith (So., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) matched Riesberg with a solo shot, while Maci Rutledge (Fr., Chadron, Neb., Nursing) came home on a sacrifice fly by Laila Pelds (Jr., Pleasant Hill, Iowa, Elementary Education). Ella Pierce (Sr., McClelland, Iowa, Business Management) then completed the comeback by singling home Tori Smith (So., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education).
After a rough first frame, Huff settled in, eventually striking out 11 against two walks in the complete-game win.
The Statesmen were outhit 8-5 in the first outing with Laila Smith pushing from the front with a hit and a walk.
A day after tossing a shutout against Mount Mercy, Madie Anderson (Sr., Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Elementary Education) did it again Saturday in the nightcap. The senior scattered six hits over her seven innings in the circle, while the navy and gold scored in four separate frames, beginning with one in the second as Riesberg plated Pierce on a single.
Frazee made it 2-0 in the third via a Tori Smith single. She then scored along with Rinn on a Huff fifth-inning double.
William Penn almost claimed a mercy-rule victory in the sixth, but ended up only scoring twice as Pierce touched home on a wild pitch and Riesberg came in on Frazee’s one-bagger.
Riesberg produced two of her squad’s eight hits, and Huff tallied one hit and one walk.
Anderson accumulated six strikeouts with only one walk as the winning hurler.
“It was a special day for Senior Day with the sweep,” Head Coach Laura North said. “We really hit our stride these past two weeks and are playing our best softball.”
Next Up: William Penn will travel to Cedar Rapids for the Heart Championship Thursday through Saturday.
