William Penn’s 2011 Campaign Done Via Upset by Iowa Wesleyan
William Penn Women's Athletics
Des Moines–Insanity reigned over the weekend as the Lady Statesmen softball team concluded its 2011 year at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Final Four Tournament Sunday.
#4 seed William Penn (37-18) started the day competing in an elimination game and stayed alive by knocking off #3 seed Clarke 7-5. The road to nationals unfortunately ended there, though, as #2 seed Iowa Wesleyan finished off the weekend a perfect 3-0 with a 7-3 victory against the Lady Statesmen.
The Tigers, just 18-33 this year (the #7 seed overall at 8-13 in the MCC), advances to the NAIA Softball National Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. on May 19-25. Getting hot at the right time, Iowa Wesleyan recorded one-third of its 2011 wins in the final two weekends of the year (6-1 at the MCC Tournament).
Despite getting outhit 11-9, committing three errors, and trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Statesmen did not fold up shop against the Crusaders (18-26).
Instead, William Penn began its rally with three runs in the bottom half of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double by Molly Miller (So., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS). Khyia Lewis (Jr., Ottumwa, Ottumwa HS) also recorded an RBI two-bagger to narrow the deficit to 4-3.
An RBI single by Brittni Reyes (Jr., Vacaville, Calif., Solano CC) plated Ashley Stream (Jr., Chariton, Chariton HS) to tie the contest in the following inning, but the Lady Statesmen were far from through. Brianne Rowley (Jr., Hood River, Ore., Blue Mountain CC) then brought two runners in on a single later in the inning. Andrea Rensberger (Sr., Sioux City, Sioux City North HS), who played her final collegiate games Sunday, also scored an unearned run on the play.
The three-run advantage was sufficient, although Clarke scared the ‘home’ team by putting a run across in the seventh.
Lewis, Stream, and Rensberger all finished 2-for-3, while Miller and Rensberger both rounded the pads twice.
Jennifer Whitehead (Fr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS), pitching in her third game in a row, possibly ran out of gas, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in just 4 1/3 innings. She struck out one and was replaced by Amber Daly (Jr., Napa, Calif., Solano CC) in the fifth frame.
The junior claimed the win despite allowing the lone seventh-inning run (earned) on three hits in 2 2/3 frames. She picked up three strikeouts versus one walk.
Just as they did on Saturday afternoon against the Tigers, the Lady Statesmen took the early lead in the opening championship round game. Rowley got her team on the board by breaking a long homer-less streak with a two-run bomb in the first inning, clearing the left-center fence to score Miller. It was her 12th roundtripper of the year and her first since April 5.
Unfortunately, the same plotline was played out with Iowa Wesleyan responding with its own big hit, a grand slam off the bat of Leigha Strong to capture the edge at 4-2. The Tigers would not trail again.
William Penn split the margin in half with a tally in the fifth as Ashley Nieto (Jr., Cement City, Mich., Jackson CC) doubled home Reyes, but three more purple and white runs were added in the bottom of the sixth and the mountain was too large for the navy and gold to climb.
A .963 fielding squad entering the weekend, the Lady Statesmen committed four more errors against Iowa Wesleyan and finished with 14 for the Final Four (.884 fielding percentage).
Six different players collected a base knock in the loss as William Penn fell in the category 9-6.
Daly started the game and was saddled with the loss to end her season at 14-8. She allowed six runs (three earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts in five innings of action.
Whitehead relieved her in the sixth and concluded the frame. The Tigers scored once (unearned) on one hit against the freshman. One batter was sent to the bench on strikes.
