William Penn Posts 4-6 Record During Spring Break Trip
Tucson, Ariz.–The Statesmen softball team finished a full week of games with four wins during its spring break trip.
The week began for WPU (11-13) last Sunday with an 11-2 (5 innings) loss to Viterbo (Wis.) and a 7-0 setback to Embry-Riddle (Ariz.). On Monday, the Statesmen fell 7-0 to Northwestern and 3-0 to Simpson (Calif.).
William Penn opened Tuesday with an 8-3 win over Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and an 11-6 victory over Park (Ariz.). After a day off, the navy and gold returned to action Thursday with an 11-3 loss (6 innings) to Midland (Neb.) before responding with an 8-0 triumph (6 innings) against Park (Ariz.).
Friday was the squad’s final day of action and featured an 8-0 loss (5 innings) to Midland before dropping Olivet Nazarene 8-0 (6 innings).
Viterbo 11, WPU 2
The Statesmen gave up three big innings to the V-Hawks, finally answering with two runs in the fourth frame. WPU was outhit 12-4 and committed three fielding errors.
Embry-Riddle 7, WPU 0
The Statesmen, who lost the hits battle 11-5 (three errors as well), could not get going against ERAU. Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Nursing) managed two base knocks.
Tori Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) had the better showing of WPU’s two pitchers, giving up just two runs (one earned) on four hits in three frames of work. She struck out a pair of batters.
Northwestern 7, WPU 0
William Penn’s rough start continued, getting outhit 7-3 and once again failing to get on the board.
Simpson (Calif.) 3, WPU 0
The pitcher’s duel saw WPU come up short in the hits department at 6-5 with Laila Smith recording a pair of hits. Emily Bryant (Sr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) quieted Simpson in two scoreless innings of relief action (one hit, one strikeout).
WPU 8, Olivet Nazarene 3
Trailing the Tigers 2-0 late in the game, the navy and gold finally flipped the script with two big frames.
Nayely Martinez (Sr., Carson, Calif., Business Management), with a single, and Peyton Naranjo (Fr., Ripon, Calif., Biology), with a double, both drove in runs in the fifth, while Chelsey Huff (Jr., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) had a triple that scored two in the sixth.
The Statesmen, who committed three errors (two by ONU), posted a 10-5 edge in hits. Martinez and Laila Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) both had two hits with a walk, while Crystal Warren (Fr., Las Vegas, Nev., Secondary Education) had two base knocks. The trio of Wilson, Huff, and Charley Geguzis (Sr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Business Management) all finished with one hit and one base on balls.
Huff executed in the pitching circle, permitting just three runs (two earned) on five hits in a complete game. She struck out five batters against two walks.
WPU 11, Park (Ariz.) 6
The highest-scoring game of the week featured 17 runs on 22 hits (13 for WPU). The Statesmen were down 4-3 after three frames, but ran away with it with four runs in the fourth and four more in the seventh.
Naranjo singled in Wilson with the game’s first run, while the Buccaneers answered with two runs.
A Geguzis sacrifice fly brought in Zoey Jones (Sr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Elementary Education) and the navy and gold tacked on another run, but PU took the lead back in the third.
In the fourth, Bailee Rinn (So., Omaha, Neb., Biology) stole home and Naranjo singled in Crystal Warren and Rebecca Warren (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev., Nursing), giving the Statesmen the lead for good.
A Jones double, a Wilson triple, and a Huff single helped WPU to its final four runs in the seventh.
Naranjo was perfect at the plate (4-for-4) with three RBIs, while Jones was 3-for-4 with two runs. Smith had one hit in addition to drawing three walks, while Crystal Warren had a base knock and two base on balls.
Midland 11, WPU 3
William Penn, which lost the hits battle 15-5, scored the initial two runs when Martinez doubled in Huff and Laila Smith in the first inning.
Unfortunately, the Warriors rolled from there with 10 unanswered runs. Laila Smith tallied one hit and one walk.
WPU 8, Park (Ariz.) 0
Headlined by a five-run fourth inning, the Statesmen cruised past Park. WPU posted a 13-4 advantage in hits, while the Buccaneers committed two fielding mistakes.
Already up 1-0, WPU pulled away in the fourth, led by Jones singling in Naranjo. Laila Smith then drew a bases-loaded walk, while Martinez tallied the biggest hit with a two-run single.
Laila Smith and Alexis Price (So., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Elementary Education) added RBI singles in the fifth and sixth frames, respectively.
Six Statesmen finished with two hits, including Laila Smith, Wilson, Huff, Naranjo, Price, and Jones. Laila Smith and Price also walked once.
Huff dominated the PU lineup, striking out eight (one walk) in a complete-game shutout.
Midland 8, WPU 0
The Statesmen struggled in all facets, being outhit 9-3 and making four fielding errors.
WPU 8, Olivet Nazarene 0
A game after being shut out, WPU did the same again against the Tigers, including outhitting them 10-2.
Smith, who was 4-for-4, opened the scoring with a leadoff solo home run. Huff and Martinez both recorded a run-scoring double, while the navy and gold added two more runs in the four-run third inning.
Tori Smith and Laila Smith both singled in teammates in the sixth as WPU wrapped up the game and the week.
Martinez also managed a hit and a base on balls, while Tori Smith had five strikeouts (two walks) in a two-hit shutout.
“We learned a lot about ourselves this past week,” Head Coach Laura North said. “I am a little disappointed in the 4-6 record, as we know we should have come out with a couple more wins. We need to be more consistent and control what we can control.”
“There were some really good things, though,” North added. “Some of the ladies stepped in and played positions they had not played before and made us better. Overall, it was a great week for our program leading into conference next weekend.”
Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa next Wednesday for its home opener, hosting Waldorf in non-conference action at 2 p.m.
