Statesmen Secure Postseason Berth with Clarke Split
Oskaloosa–The William Penn softball regrouped after a disappointing opening game to gain not only a split of Friday’s Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader against Clarke, but also earn a spot in the league tournament.
WPU (25-19, 16-10 Heart) dropped the first game 7-3, but rebounded for a 9-1 (5 innings) win in the nightcap. The win, coupled with losses by teams below them in the conference standings, the navy and gold have locked up a spot in next week’s Heart Championship in Cedar Rapids.
Laila Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) left the park in the bottom of the first to get William Penn out to a 1-0 edge.
The Pride (24-24, 13-13 Heart) answered with three runs through the third and fourth frames, but the hosts drew even at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Bailee Rinn (Sr., Omaha, Neb., Biology) and Eva Viox (So., Columbia, Mo., Exercise Science) both came around on a single by Leah Conlon (Fr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science).
Unfortunately, CU closed strong with four runs in the top of the seventh, while keeping the Statesmen scoreless in the sixth and seventh.
WPU was outhit 10-9 with the freshmen trio of Conlon, Breleigh Mengel (Jefferson, Wis., Nursing), and Mckenna Vasser (Rochester, Wash., Business Management) all recording two base knocks.
Viox also walked twice, while both Laila Smith and Rylee Riesberg (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa, Exercise Science) managed one hit and one walk.
Tori Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) was saddled with the loss, but struck out five in a complete-game effort.
“The first game was pretty frustrating,” Head Coach Laura North said. “Tori Smith was getting squeezed on her go-to pitch, and that made it difficult to control the Clarke batters. Rylee Riesberg’s home run was also taken away from her. We had to battle a lot of adversity in that game. We had opportunities to score, and just did not capitalize, but that is softball.”
The home squad produced runs in four of the five innings in the nightcap, beginning with Conlon driving in Laila Gutierrez (Jr., Seminole, Texas, Business Management) on a first-inning single.
Clarke tied the game in the top of the second, but the rest of the contest belonged to the Statesmen. The squad took advantage of three errors by the Pride, including scoring four unearned runs in the bottom of the second.
Gutierrez’s one-bagger brought in Viox and Austin Hitchner (Fr., McKenna, Wash., Secondary Education), while Marin Frazee (Jr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science) touched the plate via a Laila Smith single. Gutierrez then scored as well on Conlon’s single.
Gutierrez once again made it around the pads in the fourth, completing her trip on a single by Laila Smith, who also came home courtesy of Mengel’s single up the middle.
Shannon Van Rheenen (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Nursing) held down CU one more time in the top of the fifth, and then Conlon delivered the game-ending hit, doubling to left-center to plate Gutierrez and Riesberg on unearned runs. The Pride shot themselves in their proverbial feet as only two of William Penn’s runs were earned.
William Penn posted an 11-5 advantage in hits with Gutierrez and Conlon both finishing with three. Laila Smith contributed two of her own. Conlon was good for three RBIs, while Gutierrez had two in addition to four runs scored.
The lone run Van Rheenen permitted was unearned as the freshman scattered five Clarke hits. She managed three strikeouts without offering a walk.
“I am proud of our bounce-back,” North said. “Shannon Van Rheenen had a great outing, which is just what she needed after having some tough performances lately. Clearly it also helps when our offense strings things together.”
“I am very proud of us locking up a spot in the conference tournament,” North added. “It is a tough feat, and this team has worked extremely hard to get here. I have said it before…any day you can split in the Heart is a good day.”
