Pride battle but fall in both ends of doubleheader against MidAmerica Nazarene
OLATHE, Kan. – After three straight series at home, the Clarke University softball team hit the road to face MidAmerica Nazarene University where they dropped both games by scores of 9-1 and 12-5.
Playing both games, Lily King and Elizabeth Leverton led the Pride offensively by finishing with three hits each, as King would score three times, one of them being off a Leverton single in game two. Despite not getting a hit in game one, Daija Bates would get three RBIs in game two on a pair of hits, bringing her RBI season total to 15. Playing only in game one, freshman first baseman Kennedi LeDuff went 2-3 in a game where the Pride offense would only get six hits.
Limiting the offensive attack of the Pride in game one was Pioneer pitcher Grace Berlage who went the shortened six innings and the only run given up was unearned. It would be the eighth complete game of the year for Berlage and her eighth win in 17 starts.
MidAmerica Nazarene was able to get their offense going immediately and scored at least a run in the first four innings, including a three-run third inning followed by a two-run fourth, which ballooned the Pioneer lead to 7-1.
Calli Beck started game one and would only be able to go three innings, giving up seven earned runs with eight hits. Sydney Haas made her eighth and ninth appearance of the season after coming in to relieve both starters Friday and would go four innings total in both games, giving up six earned runs and striking out one Pioneer batter.
The Pride's first and only run in game one came in the first inning after King reached first on an error by the Pioneer third baseman. A Leverton hit and a Bates sacrifice bunt put King on third with one out allowing Kaylie Holtam to pick up her 24th RBI of the year on a groundout.
In game two, the Pride battled to a 6-5 deficit going into the fifth inning, but unfortunately, the Pioneers would score six runs over the next two innings to make the score lopsided in the Pride's 12-5 game two loss.
Payge Pyszka got the nod in game two once again and finished with a line of 4.1 innings pitched, 11 hits, allowing six earned.
The Pioneer team leader for wins was on the mound for game two as Sarah Melodia picked up her ninth win of the year after going five innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out four. Hannah Etzel took over for Melodia and held the Pride to only one hit over her two innings of work.
The Pioneers would have a solid day at the plate as second baseman Kelly Stoakes went 2-3 with a run and two RBIs in game one. She followed it up by going 3-3 with another run and two more RBIs in game two. First baseman, Rilee Slycord would only get one hit in game two, but it was a big one, going over the wall for a grand slam to push the lead out to 12-5 in the sixth inning.
The Pride will look to get back on track tomorrow in their doubleheader against Evangel University starting at 12:00 pm CST.