Statesmen Sweep Pair of One-Run Contests to Begin Illinois Weekend

Rosemont, Ill.–The William Penn softball team found a couple of different ways to win Friday as it played the first day of the NAIA Leadoff Tournament, a dome event hosted by Roosevelt.

WPU (4-2) defeated Roosevelt 2-1 in eight innings and then held off Lawrence Tech 9-8.

The navy and gold posted a 12-4 edge in hits over the Lakers, but struggled to get people all the way around. The Statesmen were first to get on the board, though, as Ella Pierce (Jr., McClelland, Iowa, Business Management) tripled and then scored on a groundout in the second inning.

Unfortunately, William Penn was held scoreless over the next five frames, while Roosevelt knotted the game at 1-1 in the sixth and forced extra innings. It is already the third extra-inning matchup of the season for the Statesmen.

After putting Roosevelt down in order in the top of the eighth, the navy and gold closed it out in the bottom half. Alexis Price (So., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Elementary Education) and Ella Pierce both tallied one-out singles and then Crystal Warren (Las Vegas, Nev., Secondary Education), pinchrunning for Price, was waved home and scored, with help by an RU error, on a single by Allyson Stewart (Sr., Delta, B.C., Nursing).

Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Nursing) was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 to lead the offense. Pierce went 2-for-3 with a walk, while Stewart, who drove in both runs, also had a pair of base knocks.

Chelsey Huff (Jr., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) held down the fort for the entire eight innings, striking out 11 against two walks. The lone run she permitted was unearned.

“Chelsey Huff pitched a gem,” Head Coach Laura North said. “She was actually a little wild, but very effective. Our offense was knocking on the door almost every inning. This was another extra-inning experience that will serve us well.”

The low-scoring battle was just a warm-up for the navy and gold as they combined with Lawrence Tech for 17 runs on 26 hits. The Statesmen also made the Blue Devils pay for their three fielding errors.

LTU scored first with one run in the opening frame, but WPU answered with a pair of tallies in the second when a triple by Rebecca Warren (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev., Nursing) plated Stewart and Brianna Talamantes (Jr., San Pedro, Calif., Secondary Education).

The Blue Devils tied it up in the bottom of the second, but the tie was short-lived as the navy and gold put three on the board in the third. Talamantes singled in Laila Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education), while Pierce came in on a double steal. Charley Geguzis (Sr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Business Management) then capped the frame with a single to bring home Talamantes.

In a game that featured numerous ties and lead changes, the Statesmen pushed their edge to 6-4 at the midway point, but allowed Lawrence Tech to score once in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.

Down 7-6 entering its final at-bats, William Penn rallied for three runs in the seventh, headlined by a two-run single by Tori Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) that scored Laila Smith and Nayely Martinez (Sr., Carson, Calif., Business Management).

LTU closed to within one in the bottom of the seventh, but the tying run was stranded in scoring position as the final outs were recorded on a second-to-shortstop-to-first base double play.

Talamantes had a huge performance, going 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. The quartet of Wilson, Laila Smith, Rebecca Warren, and Geguzis each managed two hits as well. A game after driving in both of her team’s runs, Stewart’s patience was on display as she drew three walks.

Tori Smith picked up the win, striking out three and walking four in a bit of an uneven outing. Emily Bryant (Sr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) also tallied a strikeout in a pair of innings.

“This was a slugfest,” North said. “The zone was super tight, so that is what you get. Tori Smith and Emily Bryant battled and our defense came through time and time again. We just had to outhit and outscore them today, but it came out in our favor.”

“These game were kind of opposites, so it is nice to know we can win both types of contests,” North said. “I love the fight in these young ladies. They keep battling and working. It is always nice to start off a weekend with two wins, any way you can get them.”

Next Up: William Penn remains in Rosemont, Ill. Saturday, facing Saint Xavier (Ill.) at 3:30 p.m. and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) at 6 p.m.