Statesmen Knock Off #7 Baker in Heart Split

Oskaloosa--The William Penn softball team rallied to claim its biggest win of the season as it split a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader with #7 Baker Tuesday.

The Statesmen (16-28, 8-14 Heart) won the opener 3-1, but dropped the nightcap 1-0.

Baker (37-7, 17-5 Heart) struck first in the day's first contest, going up 1-0 in the second inning.

WPU would continue to trail by one run until the sixth frame.  Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Biology) started the rally with a sharp infield single that went off the glove of the BU third baseman.  Allyson Stewart (Sr., Delta, B.C., Nursing) then advanced her teammate to second on a single to left field.  Valeria Quiroga (Sr., Brownsville, Texas, Sociology) earned a walk to load the bases.

The Statesmen, who were outhit 4-3, finally got on the board despite not tallying a base knock as a wild pitch allowed Wilson to score.  The Wildcat catcher's toss back to home plate went offline and Stewart also scored on the play.

Quiroga added an insurance run two batters later as Baker committed its second error of the inning (three overall in the game) on a ball off the bat of Kiana Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science).

Chelsey Huff (So., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) wrapped up a tremendous outing by sitting the visitors down in order in the top of the seventh.  The sophomore allowed just one run on four hits in a complete game.  She struck out six in the victory.

The nightcap was dominated by pitching, but in the end, it was also decided by an error as the Wildcats scored the game's lone run in the top of the seventh off a fielding mistake by WPU.  The hosts committed three errors in the setback.

Emily Bryant (Jr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) went to-to-toe with her counterpart, but was unable to get any run support as the Statesmen lost the hits battle 5-4.  The junior struck out four without a base on balls in a complete-game effort.

"The ladies competed for two games and the breaks went their way in the first game," said Head Coach Mike Christner. "We competed well against one of the best pitchers in the Heart in the second game. We had great pitching and defense all night."

Up next: WPU remains in Oskaloosa Friday to host Clarke in a Heart doubleheader at 4 p.m.  The game will also serve as Senior Day.