William Penn Wins Home-Opening Double Dip
William Penn Women's Athletics
Oskaloosa–The Lady Statesmen softball team rode its pitching staff to a pair of wins over Bellevue (Neb.) in non-conference play Wednesday.
William Penn (12-8) won its home opener by scores of 3-1 and 6-1 to extend its winning streak to seven games.
It took a little while for both teams to get going as they accounted for just four total hits in the first three frames.
Khyia Lewis (Sr., Ottumwa, Ottumwa HS) finally jump-started her squad in the fourth by clearing the right-center fence with a solo home run, her team-leading fifth of the year.
The Bruins (11-10) answered in the top of the sixth with their lone run, but the tie did not last as Molly Miller (Jr., Kalona, Mid-Prairie HS) led off the bottom half with a double.
She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brianne Rowley (Sr., Hood River, Ore., Blue Mountain CC) and eventually scored two batters later on a suicide squeeze bunt by Ashley Stream (Sr., Chariton, Chariton HS).
Cassie Lohman (Jr., Burbank, Calif., Providence HS) entered the game later in the frame as a pinch hitter and doubled the advantage by singling down the left field line to plate Lewis. The senior center fielder reached base on an intentional walk prior to Stream’s RBI bunt.
William Penn was outhit 7-6, but the pitching duo of Nicole Danna (Jr., Boone, Iowa Central CC) and Amber Daly (Sr., Napa, Calif., Solano CC) prevented the Bellevue base knocks from meaning much.
Danna pitched five great innings, giving up one run (earned) on four hits. She struck out a batter and walked one as well before being removed due to a hand injury.
Despite entering a difficult position (a runner on first and a 3-1 count to the batter), Daly rose to the challenge to improve to 3-2. She was not credited with giving up a run in two frames (three hits). The reliever tallied two strikeouts against one walk.
The nightcap witnessed an equally slow start with the visitors finally taking their first lead of the day on fielding mistakes (one error) in the third.
The Lady Statesmen deficit was short-lived as Athena Rosario (Sr., Bremerton, Wash., Olympic CC) led off the bottom half with a walk and later scored on a passed ball to make it 1-1.
The navy and gold claimed the edge for good in the fourth on another suicide squeeze bunt, this time by Rosario to bring home Stream. Ashlee Dennis (Fr., Loveland, Colo., Mountain View HS), who was 3-for-4 in the second contest, then doubled to score Lohman.
Rowley made it 4-1 in the fifth inning by touching home plate via a single by Lohman.
The final two runs were recorded in the sixth as Lewis hit a bases-loaded, two-run single. Dennis and Brittni Reyes (Sr., Vacaville, Calif., Solano CC) rounded the bases on the hit.
Jennifer Whitehead (4-5) was the victim of the third-inning error that plated the only Bruin run (unearned). She regrouped to toss a three-hitter, including striking out three and walking two.
Next: The Lady Statesmen travel to Baldwin City, Kan. Saturday to face Baker in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
