Statesmen Split Four-Game Weekend
Sioux Center–The William Penn softball team gained some much-needed game experience over the weekend, going 2-2 Friday and Saturday in the Dordt Dome Tournament.
WPU (2-4) opened with a 6-0 loss to Northwestern before defeating host Dordt 2-0. The Statesmen then won 5-4 over York, but closed their weekend with a 5-4 loss to Mount Marty.
Northwestern 6, WPU 0
The Statesmen were held to just four hits in Friday’s loss to Northwestern (10-0) as Emily Bryant (Jr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) took the loss on the mound.
WPU 2, Dordt 0
Later that same night, WPU was able to get a win against Dordt (4-2) by way of Kianna Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) who had two RBIs. Six Statesmen tallied one hit each, while Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Biology) and Bailee Rinn (Fr., Omaha, Neb., Biology) each crossed home plate.
Young singled and scored Rinn in the top of the fifth to take a 1-0 lead, while Wilson scored in the seventh inning on an error.
Chelsey Huff (So., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) took home the win, striking out five and giving up four hits in the shutout.
WPU 5, York 4
WPU gave up a run in the top of the first, but tied the game up in the bottom half as Valeria Quiroga (Sr., Brownsville, Texas, Sociology) singled to center field, scoring Charley Geguzis (Jr. Williamsburg, Iowa, Business Management) after she doubled to get on base. WPU took a 3-2 lead in the third, but York (1-2) tied it up in the fourth inning at 3-3.
WPU trailed going into the fifth inning before Huff grounded into a fielder’s choice that led to an error that plated Geguzis to make it 4-4. Amber Shotts (Fr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mathematics) then walked it off with a sacrifice fly that brought in Wilson.
Ashton Brown (Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Mechanical Engineering) took the win to move her season record to 1-2. She struck out four, while giving up six hits and three earned runs. Quiroga led the victors with two hits, while her and Huff both brought in two RBIs. Geguzis, who had a hit, crossed the plate three times.
Mount Marty 5, WPU 4
After a slow start, the teams combined for eight runs in the final two innings. Mount Marty scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead and then scored three runs in the sixth to go up 4-0.
WPU stormed back with four runs in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Huff singled to left to score Rinn. Shotts then doubled to right to clear the pads, bringing in Geguzis, Wilson, and Huff to tie it 4-4.
Mount Marty unfortunately won the contest in the bottom of the seventh inning with a double to center field to score the winner.
“We struggled with Northwestern’s short game and gave up runs,” Head Coach Mike Christner said. “We are struggling to hit, but got a great pitching performance from Chelsey Huff in the second game. We need to find ourselves but that will come the more we play. It was great to get our first wins under our belt.”
Next Up: William Penn will travel to McPherson, Kan. Saturday for a doubleheader against McPherson beginning at 1 p.m.
