Pride rally for three runs in the seventh to earn series split against Peru State
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Trailing by two runs going into the bottom of the seventh inning in game two, the Clarke University softball team were able to battle back for the 7-6 walk-off win over Peru State University to pick up their eleventh win on the season.
It was a disastrous inning defensively for the Bobcats as the first batter and the last batter of the inning would reach due to errors. Emma Hodnet came to the plate with the game being tied at six apiece and runners at the corners. Hodnet would hit a ball right to the shortstop, which took a wicked bounce and ricochet off her glove into centerfield, allowing the Pride to take game two 7-6.
Lily King started off the bottom of the seventh by tapping one to third in what is normally a routine play becomes anything but when she's sprinting to first. King slid to the base as the throw got there, however the throw was airmailed over the first baseman's head and King would scurry over to second.
Next batter, Elizabeth Leverton would hit a bloop single that landed just in front of the leftfielder, not allowing King to move up. Daija Bates, the hero from last weekend, successfully moved both runners in scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. Spanaway, Wash. native Cassandra Scheper came in to pinch-run for Leverton at second representing the tying run.
An infield hit by freshman leftfielder Kaylie Holtam scored King to cut the Peru State lead down to 6-5. Starting game one at catcher, Abby Archer sat game two, but was called upon to pinch-hit with one out and runners on the corners. Archer would hit a scorcher through the right side of the infield to score Scheper for Archer's 16th RBI on the season.
Pinch hitting in the seventh inning of game one, Hodnet would ground out to the third baseman where she would be thrown out. Getting that same opportunity in game two, showed the confidence the coaching staff has in the freshman from Commerce City, Colo.
Improving her record to 2-0 on the season, Payge Pyszka went the distance for her first complete game on the season. Her line was seven innings, 12 hits, five earned runs and three strikeouts.
After not being able to get a hit in game one, Leverton went 3-4 in game two, improving her batting average to .362 on the year. Bates and Holtam each went 2-4 with one RBI.
In game one, the Bobcats had a four run second inning, which included a three-run homerun by Sophia Summers. They would tack on two more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, while the Pride couldn't get that big hit, stranding nine runners on base.
Leah Gray would get a two-run double in the fourth inning, which at the time tied the game at four apiece.
On the mount for Peru State in game one, Hailey Wessel and Lanie Dreyer combined for seven innings and only two earned runs as Dreyer picked up her fourth win on the season.
Pride softball will head south for their next two series, starting with Friday, April 21st when they'll face MidAmerica Nazarene University with first pitch at 3:00 pm CST.