Pride take care of business in doubleheader sweep of Judson

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Mixing in some non-conference action in the midst of six-straight days of doubleheaders, the Clarke University softball team earned a pair of victories over Judson University on Thursday afternoon by 5-0 and 3-1 final scores at Veterans Memorial Park.

Game one's 5-0 victory was almost entirely about sophomore pitcher Meredith Gatto as she not only produced another stellar start with a one-hit shutout for her seventh victory of the season, she produced the game-winning RBIs with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 2-0 game at the time.

That single is just her fourth hit and third RBI of the season in limited action at the plate as she also scored a run later in the fourth as her pitching line finished with the only hit she allowed coming with one out in the seventh inning as she also walked two batters and struck out six Eagles.

Sophomore center fiedler Oakleigh Harman was an offensive star for CU as well, producing a pair of doubles and scoring twice with Olivia Sikora driving in a runner with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth before she was driven home by a Harlee Makue-Vasconcellos single later in the inning.

In the finale, Clarke gave up an early 1-0 lead to Judson in the top of the first as they produced their only run of game two via an unearned run off of Payge Pyszka as the junior would pick up her sixth win of the season allowing the unearned run on seven hits with no walks and no strikeouts.

Pyszka was her own best friend defensively as she had a career-high six defensive chances, making every play hit back to her, including snagging a line drive to start a double play with no outs in the sixth after giving up a lead off single.

The Pride answered the JU run in the first with their own in the bottom half of the inning when Lauren Hefel grounded out to second with runners on second and third to score Kaylie Holtam and tie the game at 1-1.

That duo of Holtam and Hefel would be at the play for the next two runs for CU as Holtam would produce an RBI single to score Jenna Ulin before Hefel drove in Alicia Casas with an infield single to make it 3-1.

Ulin got the game two start in left field as the freshman would go 3-for-3 with that run scored while Holtam had a two-hit game and Makue-Vasconcellos was on base three times in the game with two walks and a single.

The Eagles would threaten in the top of the seventh getting a two-out double to make it second and third as the tying run would be on second base but another ground ball back to Pyszka would fittingly end the game for the Clarke 3-1 victory.

Pride softball will host another non-conference doubleheader on Friday when Maranatha Baptist University visits Veterans Memorial Park for another 3:00 p.m. CT scheduled first pitch.