Statesmen Drop Two Tight Contests with Grand View

Des Moines--The William Penn softball team was within striking distance, but could not get over the hump as it fell twice to Grand View in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday.

The Statesmen (15-23, 4-10 Heart) fell by scores of 2-1 and 4-2.

The Vikings (26-9, 10-4 Heart), which held a 6-4 advantage in hits, scored the first two runs of the day with one each in the second and third frames.

Scoreless through six innings, the navy and gold finally broke through in the top of the seventh, beginning with a leadoff double by Tori Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education).  Zoey Jones (Sr., Ottumwa, Iowa, Elementary Education) then entered to pinchrun for her and three batters later, the senior came home as Laila Smith (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) pounded a double of her own.

Unfortunately, the game was wrapped up with a groundout in the next at-bat.

Laila Smith topped WPU with a double and a walk, while Chelsey Huff (Jr., Douds, Iowa, Exercise Science) took the loss in a tough matchup.  The junior permitted two runs on six hits in six frames of action.  She struck out six and walked just one.

Despite posting a 9-8 edge in hits in the nightcap, the navy and gold could not overcome four errors, which resulted in two of GVU's four runs.

The hosts scored twice in the bottom of the second, but WPU answered in the top of the third as Tori Smith cleared the fence with a solo home run.

The Vikings tacked on two more runs in the fourth for a 4-1 margin and stayed on top by that score until the final frame.

Abby Wilson (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Nursing) then led off the seventh with a triple and scored in the next at-bat on a groundout of Huff, but could come no closer to GVU.

William Penn also produced great scoring chances in the first, second, and sixth innings with runners in scoring position, but could not find the timely base knocks to drive them in.

Tori Smith guided the lineup with a 3-for-4 showing, while Jones was 2-for-3.  Laila Smith again finished with one hit and one base on balls.

Emily Bryant (Sr., University Place, Wash., Nursing) certainly pitched well enough for the win, permitting four runs (two earned) on eight hits.  She struck out two and walked one in six innings.

Next Up: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Sunday to face Graceland in another Heart doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.